Of Muggles and Mortals
by Kennie Barton
Summary: While the Greeks and the Romans have been age old enemies, the demigods have never had a problem with wizards. Harry's daughter is starting Hogwarts, a Hecate camper is a British witch, and a pair of best friends look to start the next war. Explore the life of a demigod trying to keep her two worlds separate while they are are on an unavoidable collision course.
1. Chapter 1

"They're coming after me," Amy felt her jaw drop at the realization. And looking out the window of the castle, watching as the Heroes marched through the gate and down the drive, she knew that was the absolute truth. "They're storming a castle, for me."  
"No," Hugo shook his head. It was ridiculous; a handful of muggles had no hopes of overtaking a castle. "They wouldn't try that, it's pointless. They shouldn't even be able to see the castle, much less try to take it."  
"They can, they would, and they're going to try it," Amy shook her head backing away from the window, Hugo and Lily, and starting for the front doors. "They're coming to save me. They think I'm here against my will, they've come to take me back to camp."  
"Wait," Lily pulled herself away from the window and ran after Amy, dragging Hugo after her. "That doesn't make any sense!"  
"It makes perfect sense," Amy called over her shoulder, digging through her bag for her sword as she started down a flight of stairs. She had never been happier she had decided to carry a Celestial Bronze weapon while at school; it was a very real possibility she would need it to stop Heather and Beth.  
"They all think I should be with them, because of my mom. But none of them are thinking I might belong here because of my dad. And I probably should be with them for my own safety, but I never really felt I like I fit in at camp." Lily released Hugo in an attempt to catch Amy.  
"What camp?" Hugo shouted leaping down the steps three at a time after Amy and Lily.  
"My home," Amy pulled her sword from the bag as she reached the large front doors, thankful for the familiar weight of her weapon in her hand, "Camp Half-Blood."

* * *

The adventure began in July; the thirty-first to be exact, when the mail-call for the week included an owl bearing a sealed envelope. The large owl sat at one of the tables in the dining pavilion, holding the letter firmly in its beak as it watched the curious campers enter the pavilion and separate at their respective tables. Even something as odd as the arrival of a messenger owl was not enough to allow them to think they could sit anywhere except their own tables.  
"Weird," a young girl commented as she approached the table. "Athena's animal at the Hecate table." She smiled stroking the bird gently. The owl turned a pair of large amber eyes on her. "Amy," the girl turned to look at her sister stumbling toward the table, "the owl's for you."  
"I don't have an owl," Amy yawned, falling in a seat at the table. She frowned seeing the bird sitting on her plate. "Erika, there's an owl on my plate."  
"It's for you," Erika responded as the owl dropped the envelope on Amy's plate and took off. Amy frowned again picking up the letter.  
"I didn't think that owls were trained as messengers," she turned the envelope over to read the address.

_Amelia D. Wilkes  
__Dining Pavilion, Hecate Table  
__Camp Half-Blood, Half-Blood Hill,  
__Long Island, New York, U.S.A._

"That's a lot for a single address," she looked up at Erika. "Am I the only one who got one?" she turned around to look around the dining pavilion, seeking out other campers with thick sealed envelopes.  
"That was the only owl, Amy," Heather Burgard pushed her way through the gathering Hecate campers to stand at the end of the table. "It's just you."  
Heather had grown up at Camp Half-Blood, ever since she was little and a satyr found her suffering at hands of a monster. She was not afraid of retribution from the Activities Director, Chiron, or even the cranky Camp Director, Mr. D, and did pretty much whatever she wanted. She leaned against the table beside Amy, folding her arms to wait.  
"Are you going to open it?" Heather asked after Amy sat staring at the letter for several minutes.  
"I'm allowed too?" Amy looked up at Heather with wide eyes. She was only eleven, and had never received a letter before.  
"Yes," Heather nodded, "you can open your letter."  
"Miss Wilkes, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl no later than July 31. Sincerely yours, Elaina Abbott, Deputy Headmistress."  
Amy frowned again, her eyes scanning over the cover letter a second time.  
"You applied to a school?" Erika snatched the letter from her sister's hands. "Why didn't you tell me?"  
"I didn't apply to anything. I turned eleven like three weeks ago," Amy pulled a second sheet of paper from the envelope, it was the supply list the Deputy Headmistress had promised in the letter. "But it takes a lot of stuff to attend this school."  
"Like what?" Heather leaned over to read the list over Amy's shoulder.  
"A cauldron, a wand, a mountain of books," Amy sighed slumping in her seat looking at the book list. "Correction; two mountains of books."  
"Do you want to go?" Heather's best friend, Beth Carrington slid up beside Amy, she looked over Erika's shoulder to read the letter from the school. "Girl, you have to reply today."  
"Today?!" Amy shrieked jumping up from her chair. "The owl left! How do I respond without an owl?" Amy ran from the dining pavilion, rushing past Chiron with a panicked squeal.  
The centaur frowned, looking after Amy then turned to the crowd at table twenty, "what was that about? I've never know Amy to skip breakfast."  
"She got a letter this morning," Heather and Beth gathered the acceptance letter and supply list from the other Hecate campers and handed them to Chiron. "I think she went go find an owl to take the response back," Beth continued while Chiron read the letter.  
"Did she apply for this school?" Chiron turned to Erika as he asked. All of the demigods in the pavilion shook their heads. "Then how could these people have possibly found a way to contact her? The borders are protected."  
"An owl brought the letter," Heather shrugged, "animals aren't repelled by the magic, only monsters and mortals."  
"But I've never seen an owl act that way before," Beth lifted one brow at Heather. "It just sat there, chilling until Amy sat down."  
"Is she going to attend this school?" Chiron asked, looking to Erika for the answer.  
"Can she?" Heather asked before Erika could stumble through an answer. "I mean they're both year-rounders, they're here for a reason."  
"We're here because our dad died," Erika answered quickly; "a monster got him when we were like five and our mother brought us here so the system wouldn't separate us."  
"Hecate cared that much?"  
"She said we were stronger together, and this was the only place we could stay together as children," Erika responded looking up at Chiron for confirmation. "Amy's always been better at the magic stuff than me, but I'm stronger than her and have a stronger scent."  
"So this letter could be from like, a super smart monster, trying to separate you and lure her into a trap?"  
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Chiron cast a disapproving look at Heather and Beth. "This could be a legitimate school, wanting to teach Amy about magic."  
"But she's in the Hecate Cabin, how much closer to magic can you really get?" Heather scoffed disbelievingly.  
"Actually being with Hecate, I think," Beth frowned thinking about it. "I mean learning from the mother of all magic would be as close as you get."  
Heather rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You're hilarious."  
"You know I try," Beth smiled sweetly.  
"And that was sarcasm," Heather gave a small forced smile at her best friend. "What I was saying is that Amy is already in the best place to teach her all the magic she wants to know. And if she leaves the monsters will get her."  
"She knows how to defend herself," Erika defended her sister heatedly. "She hasn't just be sitting around for the past six years."  
"That's all just practice. It's completely different once you've crossed the border," Beth waved the enraged response from Erika aside.  
"Then its real life and death situations; no Apollo campers to heal you, no Ambrosia or Nectar, just you and a dangerously high pile of days with no sleep behind you," Heather leaned against the table again. "And she'll be alone if she attends this school."  
"I think if she wants to go, we should let her go," Percy Jackson entered the dining pavilion, carrying his sleeping daughter in his arms. "I would think a school that teaches children magic would have it own protection boundaries."  
"You're being overly optimistic," Heather gave the man a deadpan look. "It has to be a trap."  
"Why? Amy doesn't have a strong scent, she barely has one at all. If Hecate had not brought the two of you here I doubt Amy would have been able to cross the border," Chiron took the sleeping child from Percy and handed him the letter from the school. "All of the satyrs talk about her apparent lack of the very thing that makes the demigods targets of the monsters."  
"So she's a weak demigod, but she's still a demigod," Beth countered quickly, leaning against the table beside Heather, watching Chiron hold the child. "I mean, not all of us have a strong scent but we still attract monsters. Marina and Gia are toddlers and they attract monsters too. "  
"They are also legacies of children of the Big Three, their scent is still stronger than Amy's."  
"And it doesn't help that all of their parents fought against Kronos and, or Gaia," one of the Athena campers offered from his table on the other side of the pavilion. The gathered demigods nodded agreement.  
"The point is, if Amy wants to attend this, Hogwarts, we should allow it," Percy stuffed the letter in his back pocket, took Marina back from Chiron and moved to the staff table, ending the discussion.  
"I don't think they'll let her go," Heather offered to Beth as they moved away from the Hecate table to their tables.  
"Me either, don't you remember what we had to go through to leave," Beth sighed shaking her head. "And Percy was the main one trying to keep us in here."  
"And Piper," Heather clicked her tongue as she stopped between tables five and six. "But who knows, Percy seems to want to send her to this school," she continued looking up to the staff table. Percy had handed his daughter over to Annabeth, who had a plate of food ready for the toddler.  
"And I think she'll go too," Beth dropped in her regular seat at table five, drumming her fingers on the edge of table. "Percy usually gets his way."  
"Only because he can convince Annabeth to side with him," Heather shook her head, looking away from Percy Jackson and his family. "But this is different. It's a school, it will have boundaries to protect the students."  
"Which means there's really no reason for Amy not to go," Beth sighed.  
"So we're going to lose a year-rounder."  
Back at the Hecate table, Erika sank into her seat staring at the Amy's plate, thinking the same thing.


	2. Chapter 2

Amy rejoined the rest of the Hecate campers an hour after she ran off from breakfast, bearing a notebook and color changing ink pen as she ran across the yard toward the arena. Some of the younger children stopped at the entrance of the arena waiting for Amy, their swords resting easily at their sides and on their shoulders.  
"Come on Amy!" some of them encouraged as the girl started slowing.  
Her breathing coming in ragged gasps, Amy stumbled to a walk through her friends and siblings. "Have you seen an owl? I really need one," she gasped walking with the others into the arena.  
"Because we have owls on demand here," one of the older boys scoffed from where he was warming up with a pair of dual swords.  
"Devin, this is serious," Amy whined dropping to sit in the sand of the arena, twirling her pen between her fingers as she stared at the cabin counselor. "I have to get the letter back to this Abbot lady today."  
"Why does it matter?" Erika, unsheathed her sword, cutting the air around her quickly with the Celestial Bronze weapon. "You're here, why would you want to leave?"  
"It's a school, Erika. A real school. And they want me."  
"Who says it's a real school?" Erika challenged moving through the forms with her sword, determined not to look at Amy.  
"It is a real school, Erika," Amy glared at her sister's back. "It's a real school that teaches actual magic."  
"It's not a real school," Erika stopped mid form, holding the stance for several long moments before she turned to glare back at her sister.  
"Here they go again," Monica sighed, shaking her head.  
"Well, wouldn't be Erika and Amy if they didn't," Devin agreed tilting his head as he watched the sisters, who had moved so they were nose to nose.  
"Yes it is!"  
"You don't know anything about this place. How do you know it's not a trap?" Erika challenged, burying her sword in the sand of the arena. "What if, for whatever reason, the monsters are trying to lure you from camp to kill you?"  
"And what if this is a real school; a real school that wants to teach me magic? Actual magic; which might be better at than this," Amy snatched Erika's sword from the ground between them, waving the blade through the air expertly, as she was trained to do. "Why are you so against me doing anything you haven't done?"  
"That's not what I'm doing," Erika ripped the sword from Amy's hand. "I'm trying to protect you."  
"No. You won't let me do anything you haven't done. You never let me do anything. Last summer when Jenna picked me to go on that quest, you wouldn't let me go with her."  
"I did not," Erika slammed her sword back in the sheath, leaning in closer to Amy's face so their noses were touching. "Chiron was the one who said you were too young. Annabeth and Percy both agreed that you were unprepared. "  
"Because of your complaining," Amy growled in response, her hands clenching in a fist at her side. "You managed to annoy Chiron so much he refused to let me leave camp. You convinced Annabeth that I was unprepared, even though I've been able to manipulate the Mist since I was eight years old! And she made Percy agree with her.  
"You never let me do anything you haven't done, because if you haven't done it, I should never be able to."  
"That's not true," Erika recoiled slightly at the accusation from the younger girl, losing some of her fire. Her sister's challenge had a horrible ring of truth to it.  
"Yes it is!" Amy was gaining the momentum in the argument, which was something she was unaccustomed to. But she liked it. "I can't leave the camp because no one ever chose you for a quest. I can't develop any skill that you're bad at, because I can't do something different than you. And I'm sick of it. I'm going to that school, I'm leaving this camp, and nothing you say is going to stop me."  
"I make the decisions, I'm the older one. Dad left me in charge."  
"You're not the boss of me," Amy's hand wrapped around the hilt of her own sword, fastened on her right side. When she pulled the weapon, her gripped was reversed with her arm crossing her chest and the blade running parallel to the ground between the two of them. "And dad didn't leave you in charge. You don't have to look after me!"  
"Put the sword away," Erika went to knock Amy's sword arm aside, but the younger girl was prepared for the move.  
Amy swatted Erika's hand aside with her free left hand, her eyes narrowing further at her older sister. With expert ease Amy flipped her sword so she could hold the point up between them, challenging her sister. Erika inhaled sharply, her nostrils flaring and her eyes widening at the close proximity of the point.  
"You really think this will let them let you leave?" Erika managed to ask, forcing herself to challenge Amy.  
"Percy said I could go," Amy was to mad to even allow a sarcastic smile to touch her lips. "Percy said I'm able, he thinks this will be good for me."  
"He did not," Erika felt her heart rate quicken. If Percy was certain Annabeth would side with him, and they would sway Chiron to allow Amy to attend the school.  
"He did, and Jason agreed," Amy's eyes flicked to Erika's sheathed weapon. She wanted to fight Erika. She wanted to show her sister that she was capable and able to handle herself outside of the camp's borders.  
"Now I know you're lying," a small smirk touched Erika's lips. "Jason's in New Rome."  
"Have you forgotten about Iris Messages?" the victorious smile did show on Amy's lips at that, watching as her sister paled again. Erika was losing ground too quickly. "And he got back this morning, while I was talking to Mr. D about going to Hogwarts."  
"You can't go to a made up place!" Erika pulled her sword again, the metal hissed as it slid the length of Amy's sword. "There's no way Chiron, Annabeth, Percy, Piper or Jason would let you go to another country alone to attend some school they've never heard of."  
They separated, circling as they continued their argument. Each step was carefully calculated, their breathing even as they glared. The other Hecate campers shook their heads, crossing their arms to watch the latest of the Wilkes sister's fights. Admittedly, this one was progressing quicker than normal. They were already crossing blades, only a few minutes into the disagreement.  
It was that moment when Percy entered the arena. He oversaw the training of all cabins with weapons, and had come to make sure the Hecate children were actually training. And was surprised Erika and Amy circling with drawn blades.  
"What is going on here?" he shouted, crossing the arena and grabbing Amy by her shirt collar. "Put it away, both of you," he snapped casting a glare at Erika.  
Amy twisted out of Percy's grip, holding her sword tightly in her hand. "Tell her I can go to the magic school."  
"You can't!" Erika seethed, her sword rising threateningly toward her sister. "It's not a real place!"  
"You don't know that," Amy lunged toward Erika, only to be stopped suddenly by Percy wrapping his arm around her waist.  
"Stop it," he relieved Amy of her weapon, and cast an uncompromising look at Erika until she relinquished her weapon to Devin. "I don't understand why the two of you insist on fighting like this."  
"Because she's a control freak, who can't stand that I might be able to do something she can't!" Amy tried to wrestle her way free of Percy's iron grip as she shouted. "She's always been that way, and I'm tired of it!"  
"I do not," Erika moved to attack the trapped demigod, but Devin grabbed her before she could move a single step. "Let me go, Devin!"  
"What I don't understand is how sisters can be so different and difficult," Percy set Amy down and took hold of her upper arm to keep her away from Erika.  
"Take it up with her," Amy screeched pulling at Percy's fingers in an attempt to free herself.  
"It's your fault," Erika screamed in response, kicking at Devin's shins. "If you could ever just listen, we wouldn't have to fight all the time."  
"And if you just appreciated someone else's opinion, or even considered it once in a freakin' blue moon, I wouldn't have to disagree with every single, unbelievable, narcissistic word that comes out of your arrogant mouth!" Amy managed to drag Percy a few steps across the arena in her anger.  
"Where do you get off calling anyone narcissistic?" Erika strained to escape Devin and tackle Amy.  
"If the shoe fits!" Amy screamed, stamping her foot down with all of her weight on Percy's toes. The man released her quickly, out of reflex to avoid further harm. "For the past six years, that shoe has fit you perfectly. And I'll say it again, you are narcissistic. So narcissistic, in fact, that I can't stand to be near you anymore. I'm going to that school, just so I can get away from you."  
Amy stormed out of the arena, leaving her notebook and pen behind. Once she had passed through gate, Devin released Erika. The other girl glared at the others in the arena, the anger lingering on Percy. Then she stormed from the arena as well.  
"That went better than anticipated," Devin sighed, rubbing his shins where Erika had kicked him.  
"Better?" Percy raised his brow looking back at Devin.  
"Much," a new camper answered from where she stood at the front of the grouped Hecate campers. "Neither of them has a black eye."  
"Or a broken limb."  
"No abrasions."  
"They're not crying."  
"Or throwing knives at one another."  
As one, the children of Hecate shrugged at Percy.  
"They always fight like that?" Percy saw the girls daily, and generally they were peaceful enough. Sure they had their spats, but all siblings had minor disagreements. He found it hard to believe that he could have missed the fights between them if they were as bad as what the Hecate campers were telling him. He would have seen the black eyes, broken bones, and various injuries.  
"Most days," Devin nodded. "They normally draw it out for a few hours though, this one went pretty quick."  
"And the Apollo campers heal them up pretty quickly, they have standing reservations in the infirmary."  
"That would be why I missed it," Percy turned back to the gate. He saw some of the Ares campers heading toward them, they always occupied the Arena when they had free time. In the lead was Beth. Percy frowned in thought.  
"Devin, you work with Beth to lead the session."  
"And what are you going to do?" Devin asked as Percy walked away.  
"I'm going to talk to those two," he called over his shoulder as he passed Beth and the Ares campers. "Go easy on them, okay?" he clapped the girl on the shoulder. She smiled at him, continuing into the arena.  
Percy found Amy sitting in the amphitheatre, stroking a large screech owl down the spine while it sat in her lap. She had another thick envelop in her hand, and stared at the emerald green writing on the front. "They must have realized that I don't belong there," she muttered when Percy sat beside her.  
"Is that what the letter says?"  
"I haven't opened it," Amy answered biting her lip. "I'm scared to."  
"Do you want me to?"  
Amy was quiet for a few minutes, staring at the writing on the envelop. "I can go, can't I?" she looked up at Percy. She had been crying, he could see the tear stains on her tanned cheeks. "If this letter isn't what I think it is, I can go to the school can't I?"  
Percy smiled at Amy, wrapping his arm around her in a gentle hug. "Of course you can go. And if I have to, I'll fight every single god on Mount Olympus so you can."  
"Thanks Percy," she sighed with a smile. "So what does the letter say?"  
Percy opened the letter carefully, and read through it quietly.  
"It says that someone will meet us in London to take us to a Wizard bank and help get you everything for school."  
"Really?" Amy ripped the letter away from Percy and read through it quickly. "I can still go?"  
"Yes, you can still go."  
"I'm going to Hogwarts!" Amy shouted jumping to her feet. The owl leapt up in a flurry of wings and settled on Amy's shoulder as she ran from the amphitheatre. Percy smiled after her.


	3. Chapter 3

Erika stared angrily at the smooth water of the canoe lake, her recently cropped auburn hair curling up toward the sinking sun. She had cut her hair in defiance; Amy hated her curly hair and kept it short so it was easily managed, so Erika cut hers to match. It was one of the many things Erika had done over the past three weeks to annoy her sister, another was a drastic change in Erika's wardrobe from dark scene clothes to bright colorful neons.  
The two looked more like twins then they ever had before, and apart from the varying attitudes and the dimple showing on opposite cheeks, it was getting fairly impossible to tell the two apart. It was all part of Erika's plan, as much as she hated it, it had been decided by the higher ups that Amy was leaving.  
Erika was still unhappy about that. And she was doing everything in her power to make certain Amy was as miserable as Erika. Erika reasoned that this was a small price to pay for the headache she knew she was giving her sister.  
She kicked the water with her bare foot, sending ripples across the lake and disturbing her reflection. She looked too much like Amy now, she could barely stand to look at herself anymore. When the ripples died down, she kicked the surface again, sending a large splash over the quiet water.  
"Stop that!" a naiad appeared beneath the dock, glaring up at Erika. "You're disrupting our nap."  
"I don't care," Erika leaned down and slapped the water several times in rapid succession. "And you should do something more production than sleep all afternoon!"  
The naiad turned her nose up at Erika, crossing her nimble arms over her thin chest, "How rude!" she snapped, and before Erika could respond the naiad sent a huge wave up and drenched her.  
"You'll pay for that," Erika began to challenge, making ready to dive into the lake after the naiad.  
"It was your fault," Erika turned quickly to see Amy standing at the end of the dock, her backpack slung over one shoulder. Amy's hair looked better short, it curled so she resembled a nymph instead of a demon; or maybe it was the smile beneath auburn curls instead of a scowl. "Tormenting her like that."  
"I wasn't," Erika came to her feet, glaring at Amy as she stalked down the dock. "And they shouldn't be sleeping all day. None of us get to."  
"I didn't come here to fight with you," Amy held her hands up, her palms facing Erika in surrender. "I'm leaving in a few hours, I came to bury the hatchet and say goodbye."  
"No, you came to rub it in my face that you're leaving," Erika snapped advancing down the dock.  
They had always been together, Hecate had insisted that they stayed together; calling them two halves of the same coin. And on the Winter Solstice every year, Hecate reminded them how important it was that they stay together. "You are stronger together," she said.  
And the previous summer Amy had been selected for a quest, and if Erika had kept quiet about it, she would have gone. But Erika reminded Chiron, Percy, Annabeth, and anyone else important enough to stop Amy from leaving about what Hecate said. It had been enough to stop Amy leaving then, but it no longer seemed relevant.  
No matter what Erika said, no matter how many times she brought up her mother's words, Chiron would not forbid Amy from leaving. And now that the day had finally come, Erika was enraged. She was so angry she would have run her sister through with a sword and felt no remorse for at least a full day. This was what led her to say something she never meant to say to Amy.  
"And you know what; good riddance!"  
Amy took a sharp intake of breath, opening her mouth to comment. But she never said anything. Instead she turned on her heel and stormed away from Erika. And that cut Erika deeper than anything Amy could have said.  
Erika and Amy fought constantly, but they had always shouted and screamed. Sometimes the arguments came to physical blows, resulting in all manner of injuries and occasionally a broken bone or two. It was a normal sight to see them sitting in the infirmary under the care of the Apollo campers. And in all that time, they had never reached a point that they would not talk to each other. Until now.  
Erika screamed in frustration, storming down the wooden dock and around the edge of the lake, opposite the way that Amy had gone. If Amy was not going to talk to her, she would not talk to Amy either. And she would just ignore everyone until her stupid sister had left for her stupid, fancy, made-up school.

* * *

Some hours later Heather and Beth found Erika sulking around Zeus' Fist in the woods. The pair stood at the edge of the clearing, leaning against some long ago defensive barriers; watching the child of Hecate rip leaves from the nearby trees and snap every branch within her reach in half. She was more destructive than any of the Ares campers, and was taking it out on the poor unsuspecting trees.  
"Those poor trees," Beth sighed, watching Erika smash a particularly large branch against the trunk of a towering pine oak. "They never saw this coming."  
"I think that tree did," Heather pointed out a tree that snatched it's branch away. "That's a nymph," she continued as the tree spirit emerged from the tree, pelting acorns at Erika.  
Beth chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand and turning away from Erika, "I know I shouldn't laugh, but I've never seen a nymph, chuck acorns like that," she laughed behind her hand, leaning heavily against Heather.  
"No, you can laugh. This is the funniest thing I've seen since Percy wrote 'DAD' on all of Jason and Piper's Camp Jupiter stuff."  
"I thought the Hermes kids raided the Aphrodite cabin since then." Beth managed to comment between gasping for breath and loud bursts of laughter seeing more of the nymphs aiding the first in retaliation against Erika. "Where are they getting all those acorns from?"  
"Running the girls panties up the flagpoles in the arena is not nearly as funny as seeing Piper wearing Camp 'DAD' shirts on her way to New Rome."  
"I think Jason dyeing all of Percy's blue clothes magenta was funnier," Beth laughed.  
"Or when Frank scared all the new campers during capture the flag," Beth and Heather spoke at the same time looking up at the top of Zeus' Fist, where earlier that summer Frank Zhang had terrified all of the new campers by leaping off the backside and pretending to fall to his death during a rather intense game of capture the flag.  
"That was the best," they sighed in contentment, smiling at the memory of the terrified children's faces.  
"Are you two going to help me?!"  
Heather shook her head, looking for Erika. She had scaled to the top of Zeus' Fist, and was failing at a strange game of King of the Mountain. The nymphs were still throwing acorns at her by the dozen, and a few had added small rocks to their collection. Erika was swatting at the projectiles with her sword and guarding her rear with a shield strapped to her back, and still the nymphs were managing to unsteady her, she teetered on the tip of the highest rock.  
"Where did she find a shield?" Beth's brow furrowed looking up at the obviously too large shield. "And doesn't she realize it's causing her more harm than good?"  
"I don't think she does," Heather pushed herself away from the abandoned battlements. "She's going to fall."  
Heather spoke to late, Erika was already falling, turning head over heels as she quickly approached the ground, screaming. Both girls rushed forward, hoping to intercept the fall, but they were too far away. Just before Erika hit the ground she vanished.  
"Oh, this is bad," Beth ran through the spot they had last seen Erika, turning to see if Erika had appeared behind them. "This is really, supremely, off-the-charts, bad," Beth ran her fingers through her hair, spinning around again looking for the missing child of Hecate. "Like Death-Con one bad."  
"It's worse than that," Heather grabbed Beth and turned her toward Zeus' Fist, pointing at the top where the child of Hecate sat beside the Son of Hades. "Nico's back."  
Nico was never in one camp more than the other, he spent a fair amount of time with Hades in the Underworld, and most of his time at his home in Boston with his partner Will Solace and their adopted daughter Bianca. His appearance at camp rarely meant anything, but him seeing what had just happened meant bad news for Heather and Beth. Nico di Angelo was the one person the pair was absolutely terrified of.  
"Were you just going to wait for the nature spirits to give up?" he asked gravely, his brow falling to a point as he looked down at the girls.  
"Uh, no. We hadn't realized she climbed the rocks," Beth started slowly, trying to piece a feasible excuse together. "And they were just acorns."  
"Why don't the two of you, go find Percy and tell him I'm in camp," Nico slid down from his seat, helping Erika down to the ground.  
"I think, we'll just go let Chiron know you're here," Heather smiled backing away from Zeus' Fist, dragging Beth along with her.  
"Thanks for catching me," Erika slid to the ground beside Nico and started back toward the cabins. She was done hiding from people. Amy would have left for London with Percy and Annabeth hours ago.  
"Why were you bothering the nymphs?"  
"I was mad at Amy," Erika answered, unbuckling the shield on her back and letting it drop to the ground with a heavy thud as she walked away from Zeus' Fist.  
"And you took it out on the trees?"  
"It was either that or tormenting the Hypnos campers," Erika stopped and turned to face Nico, slamming her sword back in the scabbard at her side. "And Chiron tends to disapprove of that."  
"I can think of several people who would disapprove of tormenting the Wild."  
Erika huffed, crossing her arms and turning away from Nico again, "You're just going to lecture me too."  
"I've never been one to lecture anyone," Nico rubbed the back of his neck. "And I don't even know what you'd be mad at Amy about."  
"Because she left to go to that stupid made-up school," Erika snapped.  
"I thought the two of you were year–round campers."  
"We were, until Amy went to London to attend that magic school," Erika kicked at the ground, scattering rocks ahead of her. "Now I'm stuck here, and she gets to go see the world, and face monsters. And she's doing it all without me!"  
Erika stormed off, leaving Nico behind. And as confused as the Son of Hades was, he understood the girl's pain. He had felt the same way when his sister had left to join the Hunters of Artemis. And he understood where she was coming from; he had no idea how to help her.  
Beth and Heather, on the other hand, knew exactly what they needed to do. They smiled knowingly at one another.  
"She's upset because Chiron won't let her leave camp." Beth breathed watching Nico and Erika walk towards the Big House.  
"She's too powerful, her stink will attract every monster on the East Coast."  
"But Amy doesn't have a scent, so she can leave without fear of attracting anything at all," Beth continued quietly.  
"But Erika doesn't know that."  
Their smiles widened.  
"Once we figure out where this Hogwarts place is, we'll be able to convince Erika to mount an attack."  
"After all, she'll have to protect Amy."  
"I love it when a good plan comes together," Heather smiled wrapping her arm through Beth's. "Now come on, we have to reach Chiron before Nico."


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you hungry?"  
Amy looked down at her stomach which had been grumbling loudly during their flight over the Atlantic. She scratched it lightly looking around at the English countryside where Percy had landed the chariot. "I've been hungrier," she responded looking up at Percy and Annabeth. "Why didn't we just fly in an airplane? They give out food on transatlantic flights, don't they?"  
"They do," Annabeth started before Percy spoke over her.  
"I can't fly, Zeus likes to strike me down when he gets the chance," Percy smiled as he shouldered his backpack and helped Annabeth down. "And this is faster than going through airport security."  
"It felt like forever," Amy commented adjusting her bag on her shoulders. "And it was boring as the bus ride to California," Amy stretched lightly as she started away from the chariot with Annabeth and Percy. "And how are we getting to London from here?"  
"A taxi is supposed to be meeting us," Annabeth pointed to the road up ahead of them.  
"Won't they think it's suspicious that three people will need a taxi, way out here?" Amy asked looking around the empty lands around them. It would be like requesting a taxi at Half-Blood Hill.  
"A friend of ours is a taxi driver in London, he seeks out demigods."  
"There are Satyrs in the UK?" Amy arched her brow at the adults. "And demigods?"  
"The gods are all over the world," Annabeth answered. "Olympus is in New York, but the gods are still live all around the globe."  
"So one of the satyrs is posing as a taxi driver? How many kids can he possibly find that way?"  
"Satyrs do more than just look for demigods. They guard the wild, watch on the actions of monsters. Make sure nothing truly horrible happens," Percy answered. "We've experienced enough hardship to last a while now."  
"So do I know the satyr coming to meet us?" Amy asked as the road came closer and closer, with no sign of the supposed taxi.  
"Probably not, he's hasn't been to Camp Half-Blood since he brought you and Erika over the border."  
"A satyr brought us, with Hecate? We lived in London with our dad?" Amy asked slowly, looking between Annabeth and Percy. "I thought we were in America somewhere?"  
"When your father was killed, you and Erika were in London. Jack was close by and got both of you to safety." Percy frowned thinking back the night Jack had brought Erika and Amy to Half-Blood Hill.  
The girls were inside the borders before Hecate arrived to claim them, and told Chiron about the importance of the girls. It had been luck that Percy and Annabeth had been at camp that night, the sudden arrival of Grover had delayed their return to New Rome. So he knew about where the girls had been, about their ride over the Atlantic on the wind. But it seemed there had been more to their father than anyone had suspected.  
"So Jack was the one who saved us from that monster? Not Hecate?"  
"It's alright Amy, the gods are busy," Annabeth consoled squeezing Amy's shoulder gently. "And she might have been the one to sent Jack to that street, Jack had said he'd received a call to pick someone up there."  
"But Erika always talks about how Hecate saved us and delivered us to camp. If it was a satyr, we must not be as important as she says we are." Amy's face fell as the thought about what Percy had said.  
She and Erika had been saved like every other demigod at Camp Half-Blood. They were just like the rest of the kids at Camp. All that time Erika had talked about their mother, she had been lying. Meaning Amy had been right when she claimed that Erika had made up stories to keep them together; Erika could not stand that Amy did something she had not done.  
"She's been lying, all these years about what Hecate said about us," Amy finally spoke.  
"No," Annabeth replied quickly, turning Amy so she was looking up at the Daughter of Athena, her hazel eyes locked on Annabeth's stormy grey ones. "Hecate said the two of you were important, that you were two halves of the same coin—just like Erika said. But she did not bring to camp, but she might have sent Jack to take care of you, she easily could have saved you, indirectly."  
"The gods are not allowed to meddle in the affairs of mortals, Amy. You know that," Percy offered kneeling beside Annabeth to look Amy in the eyes. "But that doesn't mean Hecate doesn't care about you and Erika."  
"I don't care about Erika," Amy whispered looking away from Percy and Annabeth. "And if I never see her again, I can live with that."  
"You don't mean that," Annabeth started, but Amy pulled away. "Amy."  
"The taxi's here," Amy ran the back of her hand across her cheek as she adjusted her backpack again. "Come on. I want to get to London."

* * *

The taxi stopped outside of an older building off the main street. Amy looked up at the ancient brick building with a feeling of unease. "This is the right place?"  
"It's the address we received," Annabeth answered opening the door to allow Amy out. "Someone should be here to meet us and help us get your things."  
Amy stepped out on the street, looking along the sidewalk. There was no one there, not even someone quickly passing on their way to a meeting or anything. Amy frowned looking back to Percy and Annabeth, where were talking to Jack the taxi driver. There was no way this was the right place.  
"Thanks Jack, tell Grover we said hi." Percy smiled as he stepped back off the curb. The satyr smiled and waved as he took off, leaving the demigods standing alone on a deserted street.  
"I don't think this is the right place," Amy commented looking over her shoulder at the old building, trying in vain to see through the grime covered windows.  
"It's the address," Annabeth insisted starting toward the weathered door. The closer she came to the door, the odder it seemed. When Annabeth finally reached, it was just a normal door. The name plate read, "The Leaky Cauldron" and the door swung inward without a sound. "See," she smiled at Amy before she entered.  
Inside was dark and musty, a few people sat at the tables, nursing mugs and tankards. An old barkeep stood wiping a glass out with a towel, he nodded his head in greeting to the newcomers as they started toward him.  
"Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron."  
"Thank you," Percy held his hand out to the man. "I'm Percy Jackson, and my wife Annabeth."  
"Name's Tommy," the bartender smiled. "And this must be the girl Arthur was in here talking about."  
"Is Arthur someone from the Minstry?"  
Tommy nodded, "He's just over there, having lunch. Seems he was in a hurry this morning, Molly normally feeds him well enough." Tommy pointed to a door set in a back corner. "Just go on in, introduce yourself. He's some of his grandchildren with him, taking them shopping for school as well."  
"Thanks," Percy smiled as he led the way to the room where Arthur was eating with his grandchildren.  
"Granddad, I thought we were going shopping," a teenage girl commented stirring her food around on her plate. "And why did we come up here to eat? We could have just gone back to the Burrow for lunch, and I thought we were getting ice cream."  
"I wanted to go visit Uncle George," the younger of the grandchildren commented looking up at his grandfather. "He said he had some new products and we'd get to see them first."  
All three of them had red hair, Arthur's sporting thin lines of grey at the temples. The children were both tall and gangly, their faces sprinkled with freckles. And for wizards they were dressed very normally in Amy's opinion.  
The boy noticed Amy, Percy and Annabeth first; he elbowed the girl in the ribs and nodded toward them.  
"I know what I said, and we are going shopping. But I'm here for work Rosie," Arthur smiled at his granddaughter, and followed their gaze to see what she and the boy were staring at. "Hello."  
"Hello," Percy answered, his smile spreading further as he crossed the room. "My name is Percy Jackson, this is my wife Annabeth."  
"Ah, yes." Arthur wiped his mouth with a napkin as he stood. "I've been expecting you. How was your flight in?"  
"Long and boring," Amy muttered dropping her backpack beside one of the tables occupying the room. "Very long and extra boring," Percy shot her a disapproving glance.  
"You must be Amelia," Arthur turned on Amy, his smile spreading as he extended his hand.  
"Amy, actually," she forced a small smile as she slid her hand into Arthur's. She felt like her grip was stronger than the man's, her calloused hands stark against his smooth palms. "Amy Wilkes."  
"Amy, good, good. These are my grandchildren, Rose and Hugo," he stood back motioning with an open hand to children sitting at the table. "We were just finishing up here, give us a moment and we can be on our way."  
"No hurry," Percy sat his backpack down beside Amy's and took Annabeth's. "We still have all day."  
"We're finished granddad," Rose scooted her plate away and stood up, dropping her hands in the pocket of her zip-up jacket. She leaned to her left, her red hair falling over the same shoulder as she looked over at Amy and her chaperones.  
"Yeah, can we please go see Uncle George now?" Hugo dropped his fork on the table as he climbed to his feet. His red hair was sticking up straight, like he had been riding a roller coaster all morning, his face smudged with a bit of dirt. "I've been saving all summer so I could get something from there."  
"Children, I told you, I have to work today," Arthur replied with a halfway disapproving look, which melted before he had even really given it. "I have to help Amy at Gringotts, and help her find everything she needs for school."  
"Everyone goes to Weasley Wizard Wheezes," Rose begged, her amber eyes growing large as she looked up at her grandfather. "I told Al that we would go today, he said they were coming to Diagon Alley today too."  
"And we know our own way around; this isn't our first trip to Diagon Alley," Hugo scoffed folding his arms over his chest and looking up at his grandfather.  
"No, no, I told your mother I would keep an eye on the two of you, she knows what you're like as well as anyone. And I talked to Ginny; they aren't coming until after she gets home from the Quidditch match in Austria."  
"That's still today, granddad," Hugo started toward the door, smiling at Amy and nodding for her to follow after him and his sister. "Come on, you haven't lived until you've been inside Weasley Wizard Wheezes, it's the best joke shop in all of England."  
"First stop, Gringotts," Arthur called after the children, patting his robes down to ensure he had everything he would need in Diagon Alley. "I'm serious!"  
"Amy," Percy grabbed all three of the backpacks and started for the door just a step ahead of Arthur. "Remember what we talked about," he called as the child disappeared into the tap room with Hugo and Rose.  
"I will," Amy called over her shoulder.  
"She'll be fine Percy," Annabeth took her bag from Percy, holding her husband back so Arthur could lead the way to wherever they were going.  
"Right, the entrance is this way," Arthur walked through the tap room and out the back door. The entrance to the Alley was already opened from where the children had gone through. "Welcome to Diagon Alley."


	5. Chapter 5

Percy and Annabeth found Amy at Weasley Wizard Wheezes with Hugo and Rose, she was staring at a cage of vibrant colored puffballs. The shop's owner stood behind them, smiling and turned to Arthur when he entered.  
The shop was bright and vibrant, dozens of children were gathering in the aisles exclaiming about the products they had found. Arthur smiled as he worked his way toward the cage where his grandchildren had gathered with the shop owner. Percy and Annabeth looked around in wonder, trying to imagine the trouble half of these products would cause at camp. What problems would they cause at a school?  
"George," Arthur clapped the redheaded man on the shoulder, "I'm glad to see they found their way here."  
"Dad," the man greeted brightly. "And here I thought these two were lying about you bringing them to Diagon Alley."  
"No," Arthur sighed, "but they don't listen very well. I told you we were going to Gringotts first."  
"Gringotts is boring," Rose went to open the cage. A neon yellow puff was buzzing around the door, emitting a chirp watching as Rose reached for the lock.  
"No," George reached out, stopping Rose from opening the cage door. "You know the rules Rose."  
"And you found us," Hugo commented, continuing the conversation with his grandfather as he looked over his shoulder at his Arthur. "So where are we going next?"  
"Madam Malkins," Arthur answered. "George," he nodded to his son as he shooed the children toward the door.  
Out in the street, Arthur started for the Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions, keeping a firm hold on his grandchildren. Amy found herself between Percy and Annabeth, forced to listen to a responsibility lecture/argument while they worked their way through the crowd.  
"Are you even armed? What if something had happened?"  
Amy frowned. She was obviously unarmed since Percy was still carrying her backpack. "My bad."  
"Percy, stop it. She knows what she's doing," Annabeth held her face expressionless, but Amy was well aware of the disappointed tone she whispered in. It was Amy had always imagined a disappointed mother sounded like.  
"She ran off alone, with mortals," Percy took a deep breath shaking his head. "What if there had been something here?"  
"There wasn't," Amy rolled her eyes. "And I think a hundred wizards could manage a monster if it found its way here." She vaguely motioned to the crowded street with her head.  
"It was irresponsible," Percy decidedly ignored Amy's comment.  
"She's only eleven Percy. You weren't much better," it sounded like Annabeth was on Amy's side. But Amy knew better than to believe that, Annabeth just pointed out fact.  
"I always had a weapon," Percy turned to his wife, debating whether or not to give her a reproachful glare.  
"You had many advantages Percy," Annabeth arched her brow at Percy. "You're a child of the Big Three, your sword always returns to your pocket, and you have Hydro-kinesis which would make it impossible for you to ever be unarmed."  
"She could have at least remembered her bag."  
"She's eleven Percy. You were hardly capable when you were twelve, cut her some slack." Maybe Annabeth really was on Amy's side.  
Percy looked like he was about to retort something, but Arthur turned around at that point. They were outside of Madam Malkin's.  
After purchasing her school robes, they went to the bookshop. Amy stared at the thick tomes and felt unmistakable panic swelling in her chest. Percy and Annabeth must have felt it too, and after a long drawn out conversation with a fair amount of lying and improvisation, the shopkeeper managed to find all of Amy's school books printed in Ancient Greek.  
"I think this is all of them," the shopkeeper frowned looking at the stack of books she sat on the counter. "They won't be the same as the English books."  
"They'll have all the text she needs for school though?" Annabeth asked frowning at the book list and comparing the titles to the books on the counter.  
"Oh yes, but she may have a few extra. These books will be at least two hundred years old, the professors won't teach all the old spells in the first year."  
"And if one of the spells isn't in the book what then?" Annabeth folded the supply list, putting it away in pocket of her blue jeans.  
"I can order some from Greece, and have them sent to her at Hogwarts, but that will cost a bit more," the witch offered apologetically. "But like I said, it's been close to two hundred years since anyone has requested their school books in Ancient Greek. This is the best I can do today."  
"I'm sure she can borrow someone else's book if she's missing a spell or two," Percy gathered the stack of books as Annabeth reluctantly paid for the worn books.  
"You read Greek?" Hugo's brow was arched in surprise and wonder looking at the stack of school books Percy was carrying as they left Flourish and Blotts.  
"It's easier for me to read than English, I was taught Greek first," did that count as a lie? Was she lying to a potential friend? Was she about to base their whole relationship on a lie?  
"Impressive," Hugo smiled as they continued down the street to Ollivander's.  
Ollivander's was the only wand shop in all of Diagon Alley, and according to Rose it was the only place worth going to when looking for a wand. The shop was large, impressive and oddly vacant for being the only wand shop in the area. Hugo found a wand in all of twenty seconds, Amy on the other hand felt like this was the part where everyone figured out she was not cut out for the magic school.  
Amy tried what felt like a hundred wands before the shopkeeper, an elderly witched Arthur called Mrs. Kingsley, pulled a box from her back store room. "This one, I think," she smiled offering the wand to Amy.  
Instantly the air around Amy felt warmer, her hair stood up on end and a dull glow like Celestial Bronze in the dark came out of the wand.  
"I thought as much," Mrs. Kingsley smiled nodding. "That wand has been waiting in the store room for some time."  
"What's the core?"  
"I've no idea, neither did Mr. Ollivander I'm afraid," Mrs. Kingsley shook her head sadly. "He said it had been back there since his grandfather owned the shop. Waiting for you Miss Wilkes."  
They purchased supplies for potions at an apothecary. Amy could have stayed in there all day. Some of the ingredients were impossible for her to get at camp, and could only imagine what the others at camp would think if they could ever get in that shop. They bought parchment, quills and ink, and with come considerable begging Amy bought color changing ink, just like her favorite ink pen at camp. At some point in the afternoon Rose complained enough that Arthur allowed a stop at an ice cream parlor, and treated Amy to a cone despite Percy insisting otherwise.  
The final stop of the day was at Eeylop's Owl Emporium. Amy browsed the rows of cages, staring into the jewel-like eyes of the massive birds. "Chiron said I could have one?"  
"I'll sort it all out later," Percy smiled. "But you need an owl so you can write to us, and you're friends when you come home for Christmas and summer."  
Amy bit her lip looking around the cages. Any owl, she could have any one of them. And she had no idea how to decide.  
Finally after several minutes of talking with Hugo and the witch feeding the owls, Amy chose a light grey screech owl. The cage was nearly as big as she was and the owl looked almost offended to have been chosen by her. He sat on his perch, his back to Amy, as they started back for the Leaky Cauldron.  
"Here is her ticket for the train. It leaves at eleven o'clock sharp, King's Cross Station, day after tomorrow. I won't be there, but someone can help you on the platform," Arthur handed Annabeth Amy's train ticket and smiled. "It was a pleasure meeting you, all of you," he briefly turned his smile on Amy before starting toward a large fireplace.  
"I guess I'll see you on the train," Hugo smiled before following after his grandfather. "We can ride to school together."  
"Yeah," Amy smiled waving at Hugo. "I'll see you on the train."  
"Alright, let's see if we can find a room somewhere," Percy adjusted his armload of supplies as he led the way to the tap room where Tommy was still wiping glasses with a towel.  
"I've got two rooms open, they're all yours," Tommy smiled as he handed Annabeth a pair of keys. "That is a fine owl," he added to Amy.  
"Thank you," she grinned at Tommy. "But I don't know what to name him. I've never had a pet before."  
"Oh, an owl is much more than just a pet," Tommy's eyes widened in shock as he looked down his nose at Amy and her owl. "Owls are companions, friends—not just some creature that sits in a cage at your desk."  
"All my friends had names first. How do I decide what to name him?"  
Tommy smiled. "A name has to mean something, whether it's something to you, or something to the owl, that's the question."  
"That doesn't really help me any," Amy tapped her fingers on her leg looking at the offended owl in the cage she was holding. "And I don't think he likes me."  
"Only because he doesn't know you," Percy smiled at Amy, motioning with his shoulders that it was time to head up to the rooms. "We've had a long day. It's time for bed."  
"Right," at the mention of sleep, Amy yawned. "Good night, Tommy," she waved to the man as she started after Annabeth.  
Once she was settled in her room, after flipping idly through the pages of her school books, Amy sat up looking at the owl sitting on the desk. "So you're name has to mean something?" she asked the owl hesitantly, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.  
"I don't know if I have a name that means something. This is the first time I've ever left home," for some reason she did not feel foolish confiding in the owl, not that the bird cared much for her. "I could call you that, Spítí."  
The owl clicked his beak, his feathers rising in agitation.  
"Or not," Amy licked her lips as she stood up and moved across the room to the desk and her owl. "I just don't know what else to call you."  
The owl looked up at her with large amber eyes. Daring her to try naming it something else, challenging her to try and give him another ridiculous name. She wrinkled her nose in thought.  
"I read a book, once," she frowned. "It was hard because I can't read English well, but there was a guy in it named Tobias. He was brave, and helped other people be brave."  
The owl turned his head to one side, either intrigued by her story or annoyed that Amy was still talking. Amy decided to act like he was curious instead of a complete jerk. At this point the nameless owl was the only friend she was positive she would have at Hogwarts.  
"Would you hate it if you were named Tobias?" she asked opening the cage.  
The owl blinked slowly like a cat, and stepped out of the cage. Slowly Amy reached out and stroked the owl down his spine.  
"So, you like Tobias?" she smiled. "Because you're brave; or because you help me be brave?"  
Tobias shook his head and body, his feathers ruffling, then stretched his wings.  
"It's because you're brave," Amy decided. "And that will help me be brave, I hope." She sighed, stroking Tobias again.


	6. Chapter 6

The first of September was cold. A strong wind ripped around them as Percy and Annabeth stepped out of the cab that had taken them to King's Cross from the Leaky Cauldron. Amy stepped out behind them, looking up at the train station.  
She had lived in Camp Half-Blood for six years, she knew that anything magical appeared normal on the outside. But it was hard to imagine that a whole school could be hidden in a single train station. She was beginning to doubt her decision to attend the school.  
"Do you have your ticket?" Annabeth asked wrapping her arm around Amy's shoulders as Percy moved to get a trolley for her trunk. She nodded numbly, reaching into the pocket of her pullover for the ticket.  
"Did Arthur tell you how to get on the platform?" Amy asked as they moved into the station, looking for the tenth platform.  
"Yes, over here Percy," she called, waving at her husband as they stopped in front of the barrier between nine and ten. "All we have to do is walk through this wall." Amy's mouth twisted in a frown looking between Annabeth and the wall.  
"It's a wall, Annabeth," she whispered skeptically, looking around at the other people in the train station.  
"It's the Mist, Amy. The mortals won't see anything," Annabeth assured the girl, giving her a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. "If you want we can send Percy through first."  
Amy nodded, looking around for Percy, who was still fighting his way through the crowd. Just ahead of him was a family pushing three trolleys. Amy watched as the family came up to the barrier between platforms nine and ten.  
"Have you heard anything from Uncle Ron?" the only girl in the family asked, looking up at her mother.  
"They'll be here Lily," the mother answered distractedly, one of the two boys had started pestering the other one. "James, leave your brother alone."  
"I wasn't doing anything," James took a large step away from his brother; giving his mother an innocent and slightly offended look.  
"Harry, Ron did say he could manage didn't he?" the mother turned to her husband who had finally come up beside Annabeth and Amy.  
"He said he could manage getting the kids on the train without Hermonie," Harry answered checking his trolley to make sure everything was secured.  
"I hope so," his wife turned around, looking for Ron and his children.  
"They can't miss the train," Lily squealed grabbing her mother's hand and shaking it. "If they miss the train I'll have to ride all the way to school by myself!"  
"They'll be here," Lily's mother smiled at the girl, brushing her red hair back with her hand. "Now come on, we'll find you a seat."  
"Do I have to sit with Al and James?" Lily asked as she walked with her mother toward the barrier.  
"Of course not," the rest of the conversation was lost, the pair had vanished.  
"James," their father called, motioning that the red haired boy should go first.  
James grinned and charged at the wall, and vanished like his mother and sister.  
"Al, you next," Harry watched the younger son enter the platform. Then he turned to Annabeth and Amy. "First time getting on the platform?"  
Amy nodded, slowly.  
"Don't worry, it's easy enough," he had a pleasant smile. "Just walk directly into the wall. Best go at a bit of a run if you're nervous." Amy nodded again and watched as Harry charged the wall.  
"Can I change my mind?" Amy asked just as Percy joined them.  
"But you were so excited," Percy protested, frowning at the owl cage on his trolley. "And we bought you an owl."  
"I don't think I belong with them," Amy tried to back away, heading back for the main entrance. "They all know what they're doing. And they're British."  
"Your dad was British," Annabeth caught Amy before she got too far away. "Now come on, before you miss the train."  
Percy went first, followed closely by Annabeth and Amy. They emerged on a regular train platform filled with families boarding the train. A scarlet engine gleamed in the morning light, steam billowing around it and the cars. Percy smiled moving toward one of the last cars.  
"Come on, we'll find you a seat."  
"What about Hugo?"  
"You can find him once the train is moving," Annabeth answered as they moved toward the train. "It's almost eleven."  
The last car was mostly empty and Percy decided it was the best one for Amy to ride in. The only other person in it was the young redhead who Amy had seen out in King's Cross Station. She was holding a black cat with large unblinking eyes, and they were both staring at the entrance of the platform.  
"Do you mind some company?" Percy asked as he began loading the owl's cage into the car.  
"No," Lily shook her head, rubbing the cat under its chin, the cat purred in appreciation.  
"I'm Amy," Amy climbed up in the car to help Percy with the owl.  
"Lily," she answered quietly, pulling her attention away from the gate. "And this is Addie."  
"Tobias," Amy held the cage up to display her owl. "I almost got a cat."  
"My older brother has an owl," Lily sighed, running her hand down the length of Addie's spine and tail. "Mum said he had to share with me and Al, but if anything I can just use one of the school's owls. But I got Addie from my Aunt Hermonie, her cat had kittens last spring."  
"Back home, we had a pegasus foul twins last spring," Amy offered with a smile. Lily pointed behind Amy, she turned just as Percy rejoined Annabeth on the platform.  
"All set?" Annabeth asked with a smile.  
"I think so," Amy set Tobias' cage on the floor and moved back to the door to say goodbye to Percy and Annabeth. "I'll write as soon as I can," she hugged Percy, then Annabeth.  
"If you need anything you'll let us know?" Annabeth asked as she pulled away from Amy.  
Amy nodded stepping back into the car. Up ahead of them the whistle blew. "I'll see you at Christmas?"  
"We'll be here, waiting," Percy promised.  
"Hugo!" Lily, jumped up from her seat and hung her head out the window. "Hurry!"  
Rose ran through the gate, heading for a car further up the train, a group of older students jumped out and helped her load her trunk into one of the cars. Right behind her Hugo came through with his father. Lily waved at them as the train whistle sounded again. Hugo ran for the car, a black cat bouncing in his arms.  
Percy turned and helped the man load the Hugo's trunk on the train while Annabeth helped the Hugo and his screeching cat up in the car. They had the trunk up in the over head compartment just as the train started to move. Percy and Hugo's father leapt out of the car and waved as the train started off.  
Hugo and Lily hung out of the window, waving. Lily's parents had joined Hugo's father and waved beside Percy and Annabeth. Once the platform vanished behind them, Lily and Hugo sat down opposite from Amy.  
"What happened? You almost missed the train," Lily asked, gathering her cat into her lap again.  
"Dad over slept," Hugo answered releasing his agitated cat and watching it dart beneath the bench seat. "Mum normally makes sure everyone is up and ready, but she had to go to the Minstery early this morning for that hearing. Rose was having an absolute panic attack."  
"I told mum we should have gone to your house on our way to the station," Lily shook her head. "But dad said that Uncle Ron could handle it, and I shouldn't worry."  
"I thought we were going to miss the train," Hugo looked around, noticing Amy sitting in the compartment with them. "Hello."  
"Hi," Amy answered.  
"You already know her?" Lily asked turning on Hugo.  
"Granddad helped her in Diagon Alley, exchanging her money and finding all her supplies," Hugo shrugged as if it was inconsequential. "You would have met her if you had come to Diagon Alley when you said you were."  
"It was Al's fault, he was with some of his friends all day playing Quidditch and when James went to get him, he joined them. My brothers are third and fourth year," Lily added as an afterthought for Amy.  
Hugo twisted his mouth in a frown. "Do you have any siblings? I know we spent the day together, but we never really had time to talk."  
"I have a sister, but she doesn't go to this school."  
"What school does she go to?"  
"We have a few cousins at Beauxbatons," Lily smiled. "They almost came here, but their mother insisted on Beauxbatons with her family."  
"Even though they have more cousins at Hogwarts," Hugo huffed, holding his cat tighter as he slid down in his seat.  
"I've got a lot of family back home too," Amy bit her lip. She did have a large family at Camp, they were all related through their godly parents. But it was a rule that no one talked about camp around mortals. Did wizards count as mortals? "I'm really close to a lot of my cousins."  
"So they all go to the same school?"  
"We don't attend a school, I didn't—they have a, um, a tutor," Chiron counted as a tutor, right?  
"And you decided to come here?" Lily sounded impressed, or was it disappointment? Why would someone with a private tutor decide to attend a school; even one as prestigious as Hogwarts?  
"Why didn't any of the others come to Hogwarts?" Hugo tilted his head like a cat, looking at her curiously. "Like you're sister?"  
"I was the only one to receive a letter," Amy bit her lip again.  
"So the others are all muggles?"  
"Muggles?" Amy's brow furrowed. "Is that, like mortals?"  
"Mortals?" Lily and Hugo laughed. "What's a mortal?"  
"Just a normal person, no special abilities or anything," Amy looked between Hugo and Lily. "At home we call them mortals."  
"We call them muggles," Hugo got up and moved so he was sitting beside Amy. "I guess they have different names for everything in America, don't they?"  
"Yea," Amy gave a small forced laugh, smiling at Hugo. "It's a 'whole different worlds' thing, I guess."  
"So how did you get in to Hogwarts? I don't mean to be rude, or anything," Lily covered quickly, holding her hands up between the two of them. "It's just, I've never heard of an American getting into Hogwarts before."  
"My dad's, he—he was British. My mom's Greek."  
"And you live in America?" Lily smiled shaking her head.  
"She has a work visa," that was a thing, right? People lived in other countries on visas; Amy could remember hearing something about that. "Her and some of her family have a company based in New York."  
"So was your dad a wizard?"  
"I don't know, he died when I was really little," Amy bit her lip again. She never liked talking about her father. It had been her fault that the monster had found them and killed him, it had been her fault she and Erika were year-round campers at Camp Half-Blood.  
"Maybe they're both wizards, her mother is just Greek, like Aunt Flur is French," Lily looked expectantly at Hugo, waiting for him to agree with her.  
Hugo sighed, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat. "But wouldn't your sister be accepted to Hogwarts too?"  
Amy shook her head, Erika was more of a fighter than Amy had ever been. And even though they lived in the Hecate cabin, learning magic from other children of the Mother of Magic, Erika had never really been skilled in the art. The satyrs at camp had said she had a strong scent for a child of Hecate that more closely resembled a child of Hades, and Percy called her a natural with a sword.  
Amy on the other hand had struggled through her sessions in the arena the whole six years she was at camp. She had been more apt to the magic and potion making most of her other siblings had practiced. She was one of the best potion makers in the whole cabin and had a natural ease at controlling the Mist, which often led to ridicule from the other campers.  
"We're very different," Amy responded at length. "She likes the set up back home. I don't really think she would handle an actual school very well."  
"You were all home schooled?"  
Amy nodded, "it's easier that way."  
"It must be," Hugo shook his head, "Your family sounds huge, it would be impossible to send them all to the same school."  
Lily gave her cousin a reproachful glare. "Hugo," she exclaimed.  
"What? Greeks generally have large families."  
Amy laughed. Hugo was right, and neither of them really had any idea.


	7. Chapter 7

"Do you have room for one more?" One of Lily's brothers pulled the door open so suddenly Amy almost screamed.  
"No, James. We don't have room for you," Lily jumped up, blocking the entryway from her brother. "Go sit with your own friends."  
"Come on Lily," James begged, attempting to side step the girl to enter the compartment. "Don't you want to be the cool first years, seen with the Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team?"  
"Didn't you cost them the Quidditch Cup last year?" Lily stepped over to block her brother again.  
"To Hufflepuff?" Hugo sniggered beside Amy.  
"It was a bad call," James elbowed his sister in the ribs and ducked into the compartment before she could stop him. "And I did catch the Snitch," he continued sitting down on Amy's other side. "And you are?"  
"Amy Wilkes," she held her hand out to James.  
"Is that an American accent I hear?" James grinned taking Amy's hand firmly in his own.  
"I was raised in America," Amy responded, wondering how many times she was going to explain that in the next few days and weeks. "But my dad was British."  
James nodded, slouching back in his seat.  
"Why aren't you hanging out with your friends?" Lilly huffed sitting across from her brother, her eyes narrowing at him.  
"They all got together over the holiday, while we were in Romania with Uncle Charlie," James answered, tracing the pattern on the seat with his finger. "I can't stand to sit there listening to them; it's worse than when Victore was with Teddy."  
"You're just jealous because Janet Scott got together with Roman Carter instead of you," Hugo leaned around Amy so he could see James' reaction to the accusation.  
"Who told—what makes you think I'd care about something like that?" James erupted after the initial shock of Hugo's statement.  
Lily grinned, "Rose got a letter from Janet over the summer. She went on holiday with Roman's family in Switzerland."  
"And how would you know that?" James turned on his sister, narrowing his eyes dangerously at the girl.  
"We all spent the better part of the summer with granddad and grandma Weasley. It's hard not to hear Rose squeal in delight over something like her best mate getting a boyfriend when we share a room." Lily gave her brother a skeptical stare. "And when you got home last term all you could talk about for three weeks was how you and Janet were going to be together once the new term started."  
"Three weeks?" Hugo and Amy whistled, shaking their heads.  
"Yes, three weeks," Lily continued. "So, James why don't you just admit that you're sore because Janet got together with Roman, and then we'll consider letting you ride with us to school."  
"I'm not admitting anything to you," James huffed, trying to regain some dignity. "And I'm already in."  
"You're also outnumbered," Amy gave the older boy a mischievous smile. "The three of us won't have any trouble removing you from the compartment."  
James narrowed his eyes at Amy, opening his mouth to comment that there was no way three little first years could remove the Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team from his seat. But before he could make any sort of comment the compartment door flew open again.  
"James, I've been looking everywhere you," a boy stuck his head in the compartment, his smile flashing beneath his emerald green eyes. "Flint just told me, he made captain for the house team; and wants me to replace Travers as Seeker!"  
"No way," James leapt to his feet, grabbing the new arrival by the green and silver tie around his neck and drug him into a tight embrace. "Al, that's the best news I've heard on the first day of term since I was sorted into Gryffindor!"  
"I can't breathe, James," Al gasped trying to pull himself away from James. "Seriously," he hit his brother on the shoulder rapidly.  
"So, Flint's just going to replace Travers? Can he do that?" James held Al out at arm's length to look at him.  
"Flint said I was better at the try out last year, but Travers and Cross were best mates. Flint thinks he'll have to have another tryout, after talking to Professor Simmons of course."  
"Seeker! Al, that's fantastic news!" James wrapped Al in another tight embrace. "Did you tell—who knows?"  
"I wanted to tell you first," Al answered moving back to the door. "I have to go find Rose," Al called as he vanished into the hallway.  
"I can't believe Al made Seeker," Lily leaned out into the hall, watching Al run back down the train.  
"Even if it is for Slytherin," Hugo shook his head falling back in his seat. "How do you live with him?" he looked at Lily.  
"He gets no rest from James," Lily answered. "Dad lays it on thickly as well, every time he gets the chance."  
"Does it matter?" Amy asked, looking between her three companions.  
At Camp Half-Blood, kids were in different cabins, but they were still friends, still fought together and hung out. Surely the difference here, between Gryffindor and Slytherin, would not amount to much. The divisions were just a tool, not an actual barrier between the students.  
"Mum and dad says it doesn't," Lily answered smartly.  
"But my dad says it does. There's not a Dark Witch or Wizard that hasn't come out of Slytherin house."  
"But other houses have had Dark Wizards, Hugo," James leveled his gaze at Hugo. "Never forget that."  
"What gives you the right to lecture us?"  
"He's the Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team," Amy answered, holding a neutral expression. Lily and Hugo laughed.  
"I don't have to take this," James lifted his nose as he stood. "I'm a fourth year. I have other people I could be hanging out with."  
"Don't let us stop you," Amy smiled gently at James. "I'm sure they'll love to hear about your holiday."  
James narrowed his eyes at Amy. "I like you," he finally said after a few minutes of careful thought and inspection. "I don't know why, but you seem cool enough."  
"She's my friend," Lily pushed her brother out of the compartment, hanging out of it she shouted after him, "go find your own friends!"

It was dark when the train pulled into Hogsmeade Station. By that time James had returned with Al and Rose in tow to meet Lily and Hugo's new friend. The five of them made the last few hours of the trip to Hogwarts talking and joking loudly. When the train came to a stop James opened the compartment door and leapt out first, "Race you to the carriages," he shouted to Rose and Al as he pushed his way through the crowd.  
"James!"  
"That isn't fair!" Al shouted trying to follow after his brother through the press of students leaving the train.  
Hugo, Lily and Amy stepped down from the platform looking around with the other confused first year students. Where they supposed to follow the others to the carriages? They were about to start after James when they heard a woman shouting, "First years! First years, over here!"  
The woman was tall and elegant, wearing deep magenta robes that managed to remain still in the blustering wind tunneling through the station. She had pale, nearly platinum hair pulled back in a loose, messy bun falling off the side of her head. Her face was young, her smile pleasant as she gathered the frightened first years around her at the edge of the station.  
"Alright, is this everyone? Oh, how would you know, you don't know one another yet," she laughed at herself, and turned to leave the platform. "This way, hurry up."  
They followed the woman down a hill to a small dock filled with boats. On the other side of the lake they could see the castle looming over them, all the windows lit up and reflecting on the rippling waters between the first year students and he castle.  
"The school is a castle?" Amy whispered, unable to look away from the towering spires of the ancient castle.  
"One of the oldest in the whole world," Lily answered. "Witches and Wizards have been educated here for several hundred years."  
"Alright, now," the professor held a lantern up to illuminate her pale face. "Everyone into the boats, four a piece please. Keep your hands inside the vessels as we cross, don't want the giant squid to snatch any of you," she beamed, waiting for someone to laugh. But no one was laughing.  
"Well you're no fun," she pouted, her lantern falling to her side. "Alright, enough dawdling, into the boats," she motioned with her free hand toward the boats.  
Amy, Hugo and Lily shared a boat with a pudgy boy with sweeping sandy colored hair. He kept twitching his head as they waited for the professor's next instructions. The moment they were all settled in the boat, it began to glide across the water.  
"Mind your heads," the witch called as they approached the cliff face under the castle. They sailed into a small harbor hidden in a cave. The boats grated against the pebbled shore and the all climbed out, looking around. "This way," the witch started up s set of winding stairs.  
The stairs let out before the giant front doors of the castle. Their guide looked around to make sure she had not lost anyone before she knocked on the door. Before the woman could pull her hand back, the door swung open revealing an elder witch with snowy hair.  
"The first years, Professor Abbot," the woman smiled, stepping aside and presenting the gathered first years.  
"Thank you, Charlotte. I'll take them from here." Charlotte smiled and passed through the door, vanishing into the castle.  
Without another word, Professor Abbot turned and entered the castle. The first years followed after with shuffled steps, gapping at the enormity of the room and the splendor of the decorations. Professor Abbot led them to a small chamber on the side of the entryway, and waited for them all to crowd in behind her.  
"Welcome students, to Hogwarts. The start-of-term feast will be beginning shortly, but before we do, you will be sorted into your houses. The sorting ceremony is very important. Your houses will be like your family while you are here."  
Professor Abbot brushed her hair back and straightened her robes. "The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. You're triumphs will earn you house points, any rule breaking with lose house points," Professor Abbot narrowed her gaze as she looked around the gathered students. "I hope you will all prove to be a valuable asset you your future houses." She looked directly at Lily and Hugo, and by default Amy since she stood between them.  
"Stay here, try to make yourselves look more presentable. I'll return momentarily." Professor Abbot turned, her robes billowing out around her as she did so, and left them.  
"Why did she look at you two like that?" Amy whispered as the door shut behind the Deputy Headmistress.  
"We come from a long line of trouble makers," Hugo answered proudly, his chest inflating.  
"Last year, mum and dad received letters about both James and Al," Lily smiled mischievously. "Mum said it reminded her of some of her elder brothers; they were no end of trouble. Peeves actually listened to them."  
"Peeves?"  
"He's a Poltergeist," Hugo scratched his chin.  
"Causes loads of trouble for the professors, torments students, and generally just tries to keep everyone on their toes," Lily continued, "at least that's what mum and dad say."  
Amy nodded. She had dealt with ghosts before, on the annual trip to Camp Jupiter she saw plenty of ghosts floating around. Not only that, but Hecate had something to do with ghosts as well. And Nico had ghosts hanging around Cabin Thirteen from time to time.  
Perhaps the school would be more like camp than she originally thought.


	8. Chapter 8

When Professor Abbot returned, she sniffed looking at the first years. "Follow me please."  
She turned and led the way into the Great Hall. It was a huge chamber with a high vaulted ceiling that reflected the calm night sky outside the castle. Four tables filled the main hall, the students sitting at the tables stopped their conversations to watch as the string of new arrivals made their way toward the fifth table at the head of the room. Between the four student tables and the head table there sat a ratted old hat on a stool.  
Professor Abbot stopped beside the stool, motioning for the first years to form a loose semi-circle around her. "We will now sort you into your houses," she spoke in a loud clear voice as she picked up a rolled piece of parchment from the stool and the folds of the ratted hat.  
"Arnold, Brian," Professor Abbot called. A short little pale faced boy with sandy colored hair shuffled forward from the crowd approaching the stool. Professor Abbot lifted the hat and placed in on his head. After a few minutes of complete silence, a tear near the brim opened like a mouth.  
"Hufflepuff!" the hat called. One of the tables erupted in cheer and young Brian Arnold ran to them, his cheeks flushing. Next was a tall girl named Jennifer Asbury who was sorted in Ravenclaw. Astrid Bardin was sorted into Gryffindor, Trevor Cast went to Hufflepuff, Samuel Dole went to Slytherin.  
"Potter, Lily," Professor Abbot called as Micheal Mullins ran for the shelter of the Slytherin table. Lily took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders as she left the shrinking group of students.  
The Sorting Hat had no sooner touched her head before it bellowed: "Gryffindor!"  
Finally it was down to just Amy and Hugo, they stood beside one another waiting for their turn to be sorted.  
"Weasley, Hugo," Professor Abbot called. As with Lily, the hat had no sooner touched Hugo's head and it sorted him into Gryffindor.  
Leaving Amy standing alone before the entire school, staring at the ratted hat that was about to decide her fate.  
"Wilkes, Amelia," Professor Abbot called as Amy forced herself to approach the hat. She took a deep breath as she turned to slide up onto the stool.  
The hat was so large it fell down over her eyes, blinding her to the crowd watching her.  
"Ah," the hat spoke in a cool whisper in her ear. "It has been a long time since I've seen one like you."  
"How long?" she whispered with her mind.  
"Two hundred years, give or take," the hat replied after some contemplation. "Since the West moved further west."  
"When America became a power house," Amy had the impression that the hot nodded his agreement to the statement. "So I do belong here?"  
"I remember your father," the hat mused. "He was uncertain of his place in this institution of learning. But he proved an asset to his house."  
"And which house was he in?"  
"He was in Ravenclaw. Is that where you want to go? Become a legacy of Ravenclaw house?"  
"I'm not clever."  
"You're cleverer than you give yourself credit for," the hat chuckled. "You would do well in Ravenclaw."  
"But that's not what you want," the hat continued and Amy had the impression it was shaking its head. "You want to prove yourself, cunning and ambitious."  
"I don't want Slytherin, either," she muttered, her hands wringing her robes in her lap.  
"Not Ravenclaw, not Slytherin, Hufflepuff would not do, they are not your speed," the hat gave the impression of shrugging and shaking his head once more. "That only leaves one choice."  
"Gryffindor!" the hat called loudly, Professor Abbot raised the hat from Amy's head. She ran for the cover of the Gryffindor table, sliding in a seat between Lily and Hugo.  
Up at the head table, a withered elder witch stood drawing the attention of everyone in the Great Hall. She looked down her crooked nose at the students, her gaze lingering on the Gryffindor table, then the Ravenclaw table. Amy felt the need to shrink beneath her harden gaze as the witch watched the room silently.  
Finally with a quiet whisper, magnified by the silence of the room she spoke, "Let the feast begin!"  
The food appeared on the table, filling the large platters running down the middle of the tables. Whole turkeys, chickens, roast hams and expertly cooked roasted beef, there was gravy, potatoes, yams, green beans, and every other kind of side dish Amy could imagine with and goblet that never emptied. She ate until she could not stand to eat another bite. Then the food vanished and was replaced with desserts, and as always Amy found room for it.  
As she ate, and talked with Lily, Hugo, and the other Gryffindors she felt at ease, but had a hard knot settling in her stomach as well. And as the evening wore one she began to pinpoint what it was. She was lost.  
For the first time in six years Amy did not offer a portion of her meal to the gods. For the first time in six years, Amy talked and laughed about non-hero topics. For the first time in six years, Amy felt completely out of her element.  
She sat at the Gryffindor table listening to her fellow students talk about magic. Amy knew about magic, but not the magic these kids were talking about. Their magic sounded like Latin to her, and she would know because she had heard it spoken hundreds of times. She was no better than the muggle-borns at the school, but she was better than them. She was the daughter of Hecate, the goddess of all magic. And she was under strict orders not to tell anyone, ever.  
When they were led to the Gryffindor Tower, and separated into the girl's dorms and the boy's, Amy missed the sounds of everyone as they settled down to sleep. There was a huge difference between the co-ed cabins at camp and the three other girls Amy was sharing a room with. There was a lot less joking going on, no commentary on the brutality of another cabin in the arena or at Capture the Flag, no sighs of relief as they fell into their beds massaging stiff and abused muscles. It was entirely too quiet for Amy to handle.  
She lay in bed for what had to have been hours staring at the canopy of her four poster bed unable to fall asleep. Finally she got up and returned to the common room, then down to the baths. She turned on all of the sinks and watched the water run down the drains. If anything the noise made her feel better.  
From the pocket of her pajamas Amy pulled out one of the golden Drachma she had brought so she could call back to camp in case of emergencies. Percy had made sure she had plenty, bad things tended to happen to demigods when they left Camp Half-Blood, and the golden Drachma were the only currency she could use that would be any use in helping her return to Half-Blood Hill unaccompanied by an adult. She turned the coin over in her hands watching the water.  
"I could call them, first night jitters, get some reassurance from Chiron. He would understand that," she reasoned with herself, the coin flipping between her fingers slowly as she watched the water poured from the faucet.  
"But then the others would think I can't handle it," she countered quickly turning away from the sinks to face the door. "They would think I wasn't ready, and have someone come and make me go back to camp."  
"What if they're right? What if I'm not ready to be outside of camp on my own?" she turned back to the sinks, watching the water rush into the bowl. She had never been anywhere without Erika before. What if she was unprepared to handle the monsters lurking in the world, waiting for the chance to kill some unsuspecting demigod pretending to be a witch?  
It would hardly take anything for her to create a rainbow. She could call home and be reassured that she was doing the right thing. And it was normal for children to miss home, especially when they just moved half way around the world to attend a special boarding school. One that they most likely did not actually belong in.  
Amy turned away from the sink again. If she called home they would think she was chickening out, someone would come and get her. Then she could never prove that she might belong somewhere other than Camp Half-Blood. She could never prove to Erika that she was able to take care of herself.  
Amy dropped the Drachma back in her pocket and moved back to the sinks, shutting them all off quickly. "I'll just send them a letter," she nodded to herself as she started back up stairs. "Hopefully Tobias can find Half-Blood Hill."  
She stopped in the common room on her way back to bed, looking around at the overstuffed chairs, tables already littered with bits of parchment and discarded quills. It was almost like the cabin at home, just lacking the rows of bunk beds.  
So long as she continued to find the similarities between Hogwarts and Camp Half-Blood, she could manage. Amy's hand fell to the pocket of her pajamas, her fingers brushing against the cool metal of the golden Drachma. She could always get back to camp, she had the means to do so. But she wanted to prove herself, prove to Erika that she was just as capable and smart.  
Amy took a deep breath, forcing her hand away from the Drachma in her pocket and started for the stairs to the girl's dorm room. She had been nervous her first few weeks at Camp Half-Blood, she reminded herself sternly. It was only natural she was nervous during her first night at school.  
In the room, she dug through her trunk for her parchment, ink pot and a quill. Silently she crept back to the common room and sat down to write her letter. She stared at the blank parchment wondering who to write to and what to say to them?  
Her first instinct was to write Erika, but the memory of their last disagreement took the forethought of her mind and rejected writing to her. Ever since Amy had received her acceptance letter, Erika had been overly critical and excessively rude about everything Amy did. They went from mild disagreements to all out war in a matter of days, and on the day Amy left Erika had dealt a low blow that Amy had no intention of just forgetting.  
Until Erika wrote to her first, Amy was not writing to her sister.  
"Percy and Annabeth," she decided dipping the quill in the ink. After writing out the formalities of the letter, telling them she was fine and settling in she stared at the rest of the page. Was there anything else to tell them? Nothing had really happened yet, she had made friends, but Amy was a likeable person so they would expect her to make friends quickly.  
Maybe she needed to tell them that, so they would not be concerned that she was alone in the huge castle that served as her school. And she could tell them that the school was a castle, Annabeth would appreciate that. But the return letter would be filled with questions about the architecture, and Amy would not know how to respond to any of those questions.  
She sighed drumming her fingers on the table beside her letter, staring at the vast blank space beneath her heading. Why was this so difficult? She pressed her lips in a thin line trying to find something else to say to them.  
"I made three new friends today," she whispered as she wrote. "They're Rose and Hugo's cousins, I rode on the train with them, and most of us are in the same house. The houses are like the cabins at camp, we have classes together and sit together for meals. I was afraid that this would be a lot different than camp, but I'm starting to think it won't be too different at all."  
She sighed again, signing her name with her horrible slanted and sloppy writing at the bottom of the letter, which was only a little longer than it had been before. She told herself that was fine, it was only the first night, nothing overly exciting ever happened on the first night.  
When she slipped back in the bed, she was comforted by the sounds of the others breathing. As long as her eyes were closed she could pretend that it was the Hecate cabin when the summer campers went home for school. With that comforting thought Amy fell asleep, her letter to Percy and Annabeth held tightly in her hand.


	9. Chapter 9

Early the next morning Amy found her way to the owlery with her letter for Percy and Annabeth. She stopped just inside the door and looked up through the rafters for her grey owl. He was roosting near the top, looking out one of the million windows in the tower.  
"Tobias," she called holding her hand out for the owl. Tobias' head tilted sideways looking down at her. "Come on, I have a letter for you," she held the letter up. A few of the other owls stirred at the mention of the letter, some fluffed out their feathers in anticipation.  
Seeing the other owls stirring, Tobias took off, soaring out a window and coming back in one on the ground level, alighting on Amy's shoulder. Tobias gave the other owls a disapproving glance, clicking his beak at them. Amy twisted her mouth in a frown of disapproval, but ran her hand down the owl's back just the same. "This goes to Percy and Annabeth," she held the letter up for Tobias' inspection. "They're in New York, in America. Can you fly that far?"  
He clicked his beak in annoyance, his large amber eyes boring into Amy.  
Amy smiled, petting Tobias again. "I just wanted to make sure. Have a safe flight."  
Tobias took the letter in his beak and flew off in to the predawn grey sky.  
When she made it back to Gryffindor Tower Hugo and Lily were in the common room with their bags. They grabbed Amy by the arm as she crawled through the portrait hole and started off to a corner.  
"Where were you?"  
"I had to send a letter back home? I promised I'd write them."  
"But nothing's happened yet," Hugo shook his head, taking Amy's bag from Lily and handing it to Amy. "We ate and we slept."  
"I've been away from home for a few days already," Amy smiled, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. "I wanted to write my sister, she stayed at home even though she's always wanted to see London."  
"See Hugo, I told you it was something simple," Lily wrapped her arm through Amy's and started for the portrait hole.  
"What did you think it was?" Amy laughed looking between the two of them.  
"He thought you'd befriended someone else and were trying to give us the slip," Lily's brow arched as she looked down her nose at her cousin.  
"I did not," Hugo defended loudly.  
"He thought you'd gone off with James," Lily continued as they started down the stairs for the Great Hall.  
"That's what you were afraid of," Hugo ran down a few steps to catch up to them. "And I'm glad she didn't. I don't think I could stand listening to James gloat about that."  
"Don't worry guys, I probably don't have anything in common with James, he reminds me too much of someone I know back home."  
"Really?"  
"Who?"  
"My sister."  
At breakfast a stout little witch walked up and down the Gryffindor table handing out the time tables. She looked at Lily, Hugo, and Amy and sighed handing them the schedules. "Why do I get the feeling this friendship is going to cause me no end of trouble?"  
"I think that's a little presumptuous, Professor Hale," Lily smiled at the head of Gryffindor house. "We're nothing like James and Rose."  
"Which is exactly what they said about themselves in regards to your parents," Professor Hale shook her head. "Just try to behave," she commanded more than requested as she moved down the table, casting them a dubious glance over her shoulder as she continued passing out schedules.  
"I don't understand why everyone has such a problem with our parents," Hugo muttered once Professor Hale was out of ear shot. "They did save the world, even if they broke a few school rules."  
"It's because they broke the rules," Lily answered looking over the timetable. "And we need to avoid that, remember what Uncle Percy said."  
"I actually tend to ignore most of what Uncle Percy says," Hugo answered piling toast and scrambled eggs on his plate for a second helping. "He gives me a headache."  
Lily gave her cousin a reproachful glare over the top of her schedule, "that's why he lectures you."  
"To give me a headache?" Amy snorted into her juice, trying to cover the noise with a cough. "That seems a little too mean for Uncle Percy. Uncle George I could understand," Hugo shrugged.  
"He's hoping that something actually sticks," Lily replied crossly, shooting her glare at both Amy and Hugo.  
"Well, he should stop hoping. I don't listen," Hugo replied, ignoring Lily as he started to inhale his eggs. "What's our schedule look like anyway?" he asked through a mouthful of eggs.  
"Potions, herbology, history of magic, defense against the dark arts," Lily had already memorized the timetable, determined to make better marks than both of her brothers.  
"Double anything?" Hugo asked.  
"Transfiguration," Amy answered, "very first thing this morning."  
"Two hours with Professor Harris," Hugo groaned looking at his timetable for the first time. "Kill me now."  
"It's the first day," Amy tried to encourage him, giving a forced smile. "We haven't even had class yet, you don't know what it'll be like."  
"You're an optimist," Lily shook her head. "We've had to listen to James, Al, Rose, and all our cousins talk about Professor Harris. She's a complete nightmare."  
"And you have her first thing," James forced his way between Amy and Hugo, reaching over Amy's plate to grab a pasty from a tray. "What a way to start a Monday," he shook his head in mock sadness and shoved the pastry in his mouth.  
"You're not helpful," Lily narrowed her eyes at her brother. "And what are you doing here? Don't you have your own friends to annoy?"  
"I was checking on my sister," James answered quickly. "Seeing how she faired her first night away from home."  
"More like stalking my new friend," Lily accused hotly, crossing her arms as she glared at her brother.  
"It's not always about you, Lily," James scoffed, reaching across Amy's plate again to take another pastry. "Or your friends, regardless of how attractive they may or may not be," he shoved the whole pastry in his mouth as he stood up and walked further down the table to where the Quidditch team was eating. He fell into an empty seat between two gangly fifth years and started laughing at the conversation.  
"And it's not always about him either," Lily grumbled in her chest turning away from the Gryffindor Quidditch team.  
"Once he gets involved in his classes and Quidditch again, he'll leave us alone," Hugo shrugged continuing to eat. "I mean, eventually being a fourth year will catch up to him."  
Amy turned to watch the Quidditch team, the seven of them all laughed loudly as one girl did some sort if impression, pointing across the Great Hall to the Slytherin table. It seemed like being on the Quidditch team would not offer much of a distraction; if anything it would be like the weeks of Capture the Flag at camp. They would have to find another way to distract James, or just avoid him whenever possible.  
"Probably not," Amy spoke the same time as Rose.  
Hugo's sister fell in the seat beside Lily, folding her timetable and dropping it in her bag. "James likes to be overly involved," Rose continued as if she had not spoken the same time as Amy, buttering some toast. "If Al had been a Gryffindor, they might have killed one another. It's already bad enough with them being in separate houses."  
"Why do you say things like that to me?" Lily sighed dropping her head on the table with a sharp crack.  
"It's okay Lily," Rose smiled at her younger cousin, patting her on the shoulder. "Once you get used to navigating the school it becomes easier to avoid him."  
"Don't worry Lily, I'm a pro at avoiding people," Amy smiled, shouldering her bag and standing up. "Now let's go, we have class."

* * *

As the last hour of classes drew to a close, Hugo was beginning to slump over in his desk, holding his head up with his hands as he listened to the ghost talk about history. Amy was having a hard time concentrating as well; she and Lily were elbowing each other sharply in the ribs with every other monotone sentence from the teacher. The only down side to that was that they missed most of what Professor Binns was muttering.  
When the bell rang, releasing them for the afternoon Hugo leapt up in his seat scattering the few scraps of notes he had managed to take. Amy started shoving her notes into her bag as she and Lily stood at the same time. History of Magic was the last class of the day, the first day of classes was finally over.  
"I can't believe we have three essays already," Hugo ran to catch up to the girls, still forcing his sparse notes in his bag. "It was only the first day of classes."  
"If you had paid attention during classes the essays would be easy, and completely understandable."  
"I paid attention," Hugo responded quickly. "I just don't understand why teachers give homework on the first day."  
"To understand what we already know, get a feel for their student's capabilities," Amy adjusted her bag on her shoulder, feeling the familiar weight of a sword at her hip. She had used the Mist to make it look like one of her school books, hoping she would never actually need that particular book in class. "The tutor back home does that when we start a new subject," she answered as Hugo and Lily turned to stare at her.  
"That makes sense," Hugo grumbled as they started up the stairs for Gryffindor Tower. "When you put it like that, anyway."  
"Well classes are over," Amy smiled. "Do want to go see what's so forbidden about the Forbidden Forest?"  
"It's forbidden for a reason," Lily shook her head, trying to dismiss the thought of entering the forest.  
"Generally things are labeled like that to scare people," Amy brushed Lily's comment aside. "It's never as bad as they make it out to be."  
"You know this from experience?"  
Amy nodded, although her brow furrowed in thought. "Something similar, yes," she answered hesitantly. Her entire life was labeled as dangerous, as it was for every mortal child of the gods. It had never stopped any of them from doing something, so a simple forest could hardly be that as dangerous as the life of a demigod.  
If anything it was just like the forest at camp. And as long as she had her sword, Amy was confident that she could handle any creepy-crawly wandering around in the forest. She was well versed in the language of survival.  
"I still don't think it's a good idea," Lily shook her head again. "Licentia," she said to the portrait of the Fat Lady.  
The woman in the portrait sniffed at them, turning her nose up as the painting swung open to reveal the opening into the tower.  
"Well not today anyway," Hugo agreed leading the way through the portrait hole. "Mum and dad would kill me if I broke that rule in the first week. Well, mum would. Dad might be proud."  
"You're impossible," Lily scoffed turning her nose up and walking away from Amy and Hugo, heading up the stairs to the girl's dormitories.  
"You think it's a good idea then?" Amy asked watching Lily vanish up the curling staircase.  
"It's a brilliant idea," Hugo smiled, turning to face Amy. "But not a good one for the second day of term."


	10. Chapter 10

The air started to cool as September wore on. Most of the Cabins at Camp Half-Blood were vacated for the school year, but as always there were the few year round campers continuing to train at the ancient Hero Camp. Two weeks after Amy left for Hogwarts, a delegation left for Camp Jupiter and New Rome. Due to a sour attitude and a few too many punishments, Erika was not part of the delegation for the first time in four years.  
It had sparked a renewed flame of anger in the girl and sent her on another rampage, this time all her frustrations aimed at Percy Jackson and his wife, Annabeth Chase-Jackson. Erika was positive they had been the ones who told Chiron not to allow her to travel to New Rome. After a week, even that flame died; leaving Erika moody and irritable but at least manageable. Or as manageable as a child could be when she felt she had been slighted.  
When the last week of September began, talk started about another game of Capture the Flag. All of the campers were waiting on the announcement, already deals were being made to secure teams for the game when Chiron finally set the date. And on the last Monday of the month, after s'mores and the sing-a-long at the campfire, Chiron finally announced that the games would be that Friday.  
"Let's see, Athena shall lead the Blue team, and Nike shall lead the Red team," Chiron pointed out the respective groups sitting in the amphitheatre. It was the first game of Capture the Flag since the summer session ended. With the excitement of Amy leaving for London, the August game had been canceled.  
"You may choose the cabins for your team starting in the morning; we will play the game this Friday at seven o'clock. Now, it's almost time for bed; everyone return to your cabins."  
Beth and Heather rose from where the Athena cabin and Ares cabin were sitting together, they started down the steps already deep in discussion over the cabins for their team. As long as Beth and Heather were the cabin counselors, Ares and Athena were always on the same team.  
"We should try to get Hecate," Beth was saying when they reached the ground level.  
"Their ability to manipulate the Mist could come in handy," Heather agreed, earning nods of approval from some of her siblings, as well as some of the Ares campers.  
"And we need to get Erika to like us," Beth added quietly, slowing so her siblings could pass her.  
They had devised a plan. They had overheard Erika's complaints to Nico about Amy leaving, and since the world was lacking some pressing problem for someone to resolve, they were going to cause one. Heather and Beth wanted, more than anything, to fight in a war.  
If they had to make a war, so be it.  
"Or at least tolerate us," Heather looked over her shoulder to where Devin was talking to the new year round camper for Hecate cabin, explaining Capture the Flag most likely since they had arrived at the end of summer. "And Devin won't like it."  
"He hasn't trusted you since you used him as bait for the Roman War Games," Beth snickered, elbowing Heather in the ribs. "He'd never join teams with you."  
"Then it's a good thing you're the team captain," Heather smiled smugly, wrapping her arm around Beth's neck. "You can use the lovable charm of yours to sway him to the blue team."  
Beth narrowed her eyes as she pulled out of Heather's grip. It was no secret that Devin had a slightly major crush on Beth. It was also painfully obvious to everyone except Devin that Beth was not interested. And Heather liked to remind Beth at every opportunity, much to Beth's annoyance.  
"Or not," she folded her arms, cocking her eyebrow at her best friend. "I'd rather he hated me."  
"No, we need the Hecate cabin on our team," Heather smiled in reply, forcing her arm through Beth's so they were arm-in-arm. "And if you have to pretend to kind-of, maybe just a little bitty bit, like Devin; that's a price I'm willing to pay."  
Beth growled deeply in her chest, her eyes narrowing further as she looked at Heather in the failing daylight. "Fine, but we also get the Apollo campers so you can sweet talk Joel into joining us."  
Heather's face blanched quickly. "Joel? Joel Fitone?"  
"You know another Joel?" Beth asked sweetly.  
Just like Devin was crushing on Beth, Joel was head over heels for Heather. But Joel was more of the "nerdy physician" than the "super cool musician", and Heather was not a fan of his medical talk. But like Devin, they needed Joel for the war they were plotting.  
"That is cruel and unusual punishment," Heather finally sighed, shaking her head. "Where did you learn to be so conniving?"  
"I learned from the very best," Beth smiled, pulling herself away from Heather as they reached the Green between the cabins.  
Heather smiled, straightening proudly at the compliment.  
"Not you," Beth laughed, covering her mouth. "It was the Stoll brothers."  
Heather smiled despite her best efforts to look offended. "The Stolls, really?"  
"Yes," Beth stopped in the center of the Green, looking around to see if anyone was close by.  
The rest of their cabins had moved head of them. Most of the others had already reached their respective cabins as well. Beth looked over her shoulder to see the Hecate cabin walking with the Nike cabin, they had teamed up the last three games of Capture the Flag, the girls would have to find some way to separate them.  
"Listen," Beth lowered her voice and leaned in closer to Heather. "I hate to admit this, but we'll need an adult to agree to this."  
"We'll need Percy," Heather whispered back. "Mrs. O'Leary can shadow travel."  
"And put us right outside this school thing," Beth nodded. After so many years of being more or less attached at the hip, the pair could finish each other's sentences without much thought.  
"We should also get Frank to help us. He's a Blest of Mars."  
Beth shook her head quickly. As good as that sounded, Frank Zhang was not a good option. He was possibly the most peaceful child of Mars either of the girls had ever seen. He would hinder their plans more than assist them. "No, not Frank, or Jason."  
"I wasn't planning on Jason; he's too wishy-washy when it comes to fighting."  
"Which is odd since he was a Praetor," Beth shook her head. They were getting off subject. "We can't have Piper or Annabeth either."  
"Which automatically excludes Percy," Heather sighed chewing on her lip. Percy would tell Annabeth, she would stop their plans before they were even halfway thought out. "We could get Clarisse."  
"She's only here during the summer," the girls sighed, their heads falling.  
The beam of a flashlight cut through the settling darkness, a counselor was coming to make sure everyone had made it to their cabins before the Harpies came out. The light fell over them, temporarily blinding them. "Hey, it's time for bed!" Annabeth's voice cut through the still night.  
"We'll continue this in the morning." Heather and Beth knocked the backs of their fists together and nodded.  
"Tomorrow," Beth agreed as they separated, heading for their respective cabins.

* * *

Erika was sulking near the strawberry fields when Beth approached her. The girl had a half-filled basket of strawberries beside her and a sour expression on her face.  
"I'm pretty sure, you're supposed to be in arts and crafts right now."  
"And I'm pretty sure, I don't care," Erika snapped, throwing an overripe berry in her basket. "It's not like they'll think I ran away. I'd be attacked before I made it a half mile down the road."  
"I think you could face the Minotaur with the attitude you've been wielding this past month."  
Erika glared at the elder girl, a growl rumbling in her throat. Beth held her hands up in surrender at the girl. Erika climbed to her feet, folding her arms as she continued to glare at Beth. "What in Hades' name do you want?"  
"What makes you think I want something?" Beth asked innocently.  
"You never talk to anyone except Heather. Heather only talks to you. The two of you never talk to anyone without one another present, so you can gang up on them and trick them somehow."  
"That's not true," Beth tried to defend herself, but it was feeble attempt.  
"I see things, Beth. I notice things. And one thing I don't see here is Heather," Erika snapped looking around to make sure that she had not missed the approach of Beth's coconspirator. "So you obviously want something. Now talk."  
"Or what?" Beth half laughed, looking down at Erika.  
Erika's shoulders bunched together, like she was about to retort something. But instead she sighed, her entire self deflating. Erika shook her head and turned away from Beth and the basket of overripe berries. "Nothing," she muttered sulking down the row of twirling vines, "just leave me alone."  
Beth's lips pursed as she watched the girl walk away. It seemed getting the girl to associate with her was more difficult that either Beth or Heather had expected. All her anger was falling aside the longer Amy was away. That would prove to be a problem; without some form of anger boiling inside her, how could they convince her to wage war?  
"There you are," Beth could the mock exasperation in Heather's voice as she approached.  
"We might have a problem," Beth frowned watching Erika sulk.  
"She's already settled?" Beth clicked her tongue in response. "It's only been a few weeks," Heather continued as she came to a stop beside Beth.  
"And still no word from Amy," Beth leaned to one side, sighing. "I think if she received some kind of letter or message it would help."  
"Let Erika know how much fun Amy's having outside of camp," Heather agreed. "That's the sisterly thing to do."  
"Those two have never been sisterly," a cruel smile spread across Beth's face. "And it would be just like feuding sisters to rub all the fun _they're_ having, in their sister's face."  
"Are you thinking, what I think you're thinking?"  
"If you're thinking of some clever scheme to make Erika jealous all over again, then: no," Beth's smile grew as she turned on her heel and started down the row between strawberry vines.  
Heather's brow furrowed as she sorted through Beth's statement, turning to follow after her. "So that's a yes?" she called after her friend as they left the strawberry field behind.  
"That depends," Beth called over her shoulder, never slowing as she planned on how she was going to get Erika on their side for the war.  
"Depends on what?" Heather asked, coming up beside Beth as they started toward the forest. "I mean, I've got a plan, and you've got a plan. I just need to make sure we're on the same page here."  
"When are we ever not on the same page?" Beth asked, looping her arm through Heather's.  
"Not in a long time," Heather answered slowly, looking over at Beth's pale blue eyes and sweeping brunette bob. "Or more recently, that haircut."  
"You're so funny," Beth laughed mockingly. "I meant about the scheming."  
"I think I understand what you're getting at. But how are we going to fake a letter from Amy?"  
"Wait and see Heather," Beth smiled sweetly. "Wait and see."


	11. Chapter 11

September flew by quickly. It seemed like barely a day had passed before Amy woke up to find that October was only a few short days away, as well as the first Quidditch match of the year. Hufflepuff versus Slytherin.  
"I can't wait to see Al play," when the news that Slytherin would be in the first match, both Lily and Hugo lost all pretenses of focusing on their school work. Hugo seemed more excited about it than Lily, but Amy could understand that. "And with all the practice he gets with the Slytherin team, I'll bet he's loads better than he was over the summer."  
"I was better than him over the summer," Lily scoffed in return as they descended the steps toward the Great Hall. "Uncle George said so, and so did mum."  
"Uncle George is a Beater, he wouldn't know anything about being Seeker," Hugo waved her commentary aside quickly.  
"I still beat him last year when we were with mum in Rio de Janeiro. I played a scrimmage match with the Brazil National team against the Australian National. They said I had potential."  
"And so do your brothers," Amy interjected. She had been drug out to the Quidditch pitch more than a few times to watch Al and James play around on their top of the line Firebolt broomsticks. She had even partaken in a few of the sessions with a borrowed school broom. "And unless you're supremely more awesome than James, he's the one everyone cares about."  
"And Al," Hugo added.  
"He might be the only one they care about actually," Amy frowned opening the doors of the castle, heading back inside for dinner. They had spent the afternoon out by the lake. Lily had attempted to start a few essays, but Amy and Hugo had complained about it so much she gave up. Most of the afternoon had been spent throwing sticks in the lake for the giant squid to toss back at them.  
But Amy was right, the entire school had been in an uproar since the announcement that Al Potter had replaced the seeker of the Slytherin team barely a full day into the new term. Everyone was ready to see how the third year would stack up against the fifth year he replaced. Worst of all was James.  
Under normal circumstances the brothers would have trying to get the upper hand on one another. Rose had recounted no fewer than one hundred and thirty instances when James and Al had gone head to head in the three years they had been at school together.  
"Of course he's going to be great. All the Potters are excellent at Quidditch, our dad was the youngest seeker in a century here at Hogwarts and he played all six years he was at school, and mum played for the Holyhead Harpies." They listened to James repeat for at least the twentieth time that day.  
James' commentary had grown more and more frequent as the match drew closer, and by the Friday before the match he also had all of the Gryffindor team boasting about the capabilities of the young Slytherin Seeker. Some of the Ravenclaw students had also started, so by dinner the night before the match the only thing anyone was talking about was Al Potter.  
"It sounds like he's bragging or something," Amy commented boredly, stirring her mashed potatoes around on her plate with a spoon, while listening to James talk to the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team and anyone in the Great Hall who would listen.  
"Only until he has plays him," Lily answered behind her copy of Transfiguration for Beginners. "Then all he'll talk about is how much better he is than Al."  
"I hope Al beats him," Hugo commented turning the page of his potions book. "Not that I want Slytherin to win," he added quickly looking between Lily and Amy, "I just want Al to knock James down a bit."  
"I don't want either of them to win," Lily sniffed. "I want another house to humiliate them so badly, they'll stop gloating about how great they are at Quidditch."  
"I don't care either way," Amy added a giant spoonful of green beans to her plate of potatoes, "It's just a game after all."  
"It's Quidditch!" Lily and Hugo both responded instantly. Amy shrugged, stirring her beans into the potatoes.  
"It's the same thing back home, with the War Games and Capture the Flag. It's a big deal at the time, but after the fact it's just another dumb game." Amy sighed, looking across the table for something else to add to her plate. "Didn't I see roast beef?"  
"War games?" Lily arched her brow at Amy. Sometimes to girl said the strangest things, and acted as if it was nothing unusual. "You play war games? At home?"  
"It's just a more intense round capture the flag," Amy answered turning back to her plate and frowning. "Well, it's more like King of the Hill than Capture the Flag. It's a lot more organized, but that's because it's the Roman game, not the Greek." She dipped a few more potatoes on her plate. "But it's all basically the same thing."  
"I'm confused," Hugo started, his brow furrowing in thought. "Why would you be playing war games? It's like you're preparing to go to war. Who does that?"  
Amy shook her head quickly, "the point is: it's just a game. It doesn't matter who wins."  
"You won't be saying that when we play."  
"Oh, joy. I'd almost missed your company," Amy smiled up at the Seeker for the Gryffindor House team. "Tell me, what news do you bring from your teammates?"  
"Nothing new," James sank into the seat beside Amy, ignoring the look of annoyance from his sister, and reached across Amy's plate to a dish of tarts. "I just hear that you don't really care for the outcome tomorrow."  
"Because I don't," Amy smiled, sliding away from James slightly. "It's just a game."  
"Yes, that I understand." James slid closer to Amy as he spoke. "But you are actually pretty good."  
"First years don't make the house team."  
"I'm not talking about the team," James shot his cousin a dirty look over his shoulder. "I don't see how someone so good at something, doesn't have more interest in it."  
"I've done this sort of thing before," Amy answered cryptically. "I learned a long time ago, it's just a game, and when it's all said and done no one cares about the outcome."  
James narrowed his eyes at the girl. "Maybe, but we'll see how you feel about it after tomorrow's match."  
"It's not like you're playing tomorrow," Lily muttered behind her Transfiguration book.  
"No, but once she sees a match, she'll come around."  
"I doubt it," Amy smiled watching James get up and return to his friends. "I've played this game before."  
"I feel like we need to spend the holiday with you," Hugo commented watching Amy as she returned to mixing her food together. "It would be very interesting."  
"That's putting it mildly," Amy dropped her spoon on the table and took up her fork to begin eating. "Now, do we really have to go watch the match?"  
"We have to watch Al play," Lily dropped her book, giving Amy an indignant look.  
"That's what I thought you'd say."  
Despite the fact that Amy could not have cared less about the outcome of the Quidditch match, she still made her way down to the pitch the following morning with Lily and Hugo to cheer for Al and the Slytherin team. Some of the other Gryffindors gave the trio odd looks, a few outright avoided being anywhere near them. Gryffindor and Slytherin were heated rivals, and even supporting a sibling in the opposite house was not acceptable.  
When they finally settled in their seats to watch, Amy was already bored with the event. At least at camp she got to participate in the Games. Here she was just watching, first years never made house teams except on extremely rare occasions; and nothing about her flying abilities would land her a position on the team. "So how long does a match last?"  
"The record is a few weeks."  
"Weeks?" Amy moaned slumping over the railing of the box they were sitting in.  
"None of the House games take that long. The record was during a World Cup, a match at school normally doesn't last more than a day."  
"Normally?" Amy propped her head up and cast a suspicious glance at her friends.  
"This one won't be so bad," Hugo grinned. "Rose told me the Hufflepuff Seeker is worse than James. And Al's always been a better Quidditch player than James."  
"So the Seeker determines when the match is over?"  
"The Seeker who catches the Snitch ends the game."  
"You means 'wins' the game?" Amy straightened watching as the Hufflepuff team entered the field below them. "The Seeker that catches the Snitch wins the game."  
"No," Lily shook her head. "The Snitch is worth one hundred and fifty points, so normally the Seeker who catches it wins the game for their team. But if the score is say, one hundred seventy to ten, the victory would still go to the highest score."  
"One hundred and seventy?"  
"That's just seventeen goals," Hugo leaned forward to watch the Slytherin team emerge from their locker room. "Any team with decent offense can manage that easily."  
"There's Professor Longbottom," Amy and Lily leaned forward to watch the Herbology professor walk to the center of the pit, carrying a trunk under his arm.  
"Alright then, let's have a nice clean game," the teacher looked at both teams equally. "Mount up."  
The two teams mounted their brooms and rose to hover in a circle around Professor Longbottom, Al and the Hufflepuff Seeker, fourth year Muriel Ballard, floating just above the rest of their teammates. All eyes were on the chest Longbottom carried, waiting for him to release the Snitch and the Bludgers.  
Upon release one of the Bludgers zipped mere inches away from Amy's face. She barely even flinched, she was too intent on the tiny golden ball fluttering just out of her reach. The golden Snitch was hover just beyond her grasp.  
It was the same as being the one who reaches the opponent's flag, the one who breached most of the defenses during Capture the Flag, only to be stopped by an enraged child of Ares wielding an electric spear. And Amy would know all about that, since that was usually what happened any time they played against Ares and Athena. So close to victory, yet so incredibly far away all in one never ending moment.  
"Professor Longbottom releases the Quaffle, and the game begins!"  
The two teams erupted into motion, one of the Slytherin Chasers, June Mayor, caught the Quaffle and started toward the Hufflepuff goal posts. She passed it to fellow Chaser Calee Fisher, who passed it over the heads of two of the Hufflepuff Chasers into the arms of the final Slytherin Chaser, Joel Flint. Flint passed the Quaffle back to Carter, who tossed it through the center hoop, barely a hair's breadth out of the Hufflepuff Keeper's reach.  
"Ten points to Slytherin!" The announcer called, "That's what I call good team work—what's this?! The new Slytherin Seeker, who replaced Travers on the very first day of term, is on the move!"  
Amy tore her eyes away from the Snitch, which was still hovering in front of her, to watch Al come flying past her in a blur of silver and green. Just as he reached level with the students, the Snitch zipped away. Al turned, following closely behind the Snitch.  
"It seems he was just wanting to show off. Hufflepuff has the Quaffle. Bell, to Ballard, back to Bell. Fisher steals the Quaffle—Excellent technique!—Fisher to Carter, to Flint. Flint drops the Quaffle. Hufflepuff slips past Crabbe. Ten to ten!"  
"Muriel saw the Snitch," Hugo leaned over the edge of the seats, pointing to Al and the Hufflepuff Seeker. They were flying neck and neck in a nose dive for the ground, both reaching out to catch the small golden Snitch.  
"They're going to crash," Lily breathed leaning over to watch her brother.  
"No, he caught it," Amy was on her feet, watching as Al wrapped his finger's around the Snitch and pull out of the dive, seconds before crashing into the ground.  
"Albus Potter has caught the Golden Snitch! Well, it seems Flint was right to replace Travers. That was brilliant."


	12. Chapter 12

During the month of October, nothing of interest happened. Ravenclaw lost to Gryffindor in their first Quidditch match of the year, the homework on all of the classes grew to mountainous piles for all of the students, and the castle slowly began to look like a literal haunted castle thanks to the Halloween decorations.  
One night during Astrology, while Amy was busy not mapping the stars and planets she saw the distinct lights of campfires in the Forbidden Forest. She leaned over the battlements of the castle, staring at the flickering light of Roman signal fires. "I can't believe there are Romans here," she muttered drumming her fingers on the stone wall.  
"What?" Hugo leaned around his telescope to look directly at Amy. "Have you finished already?"  
Amy nodded and shook her head at the same time, then shook her head quickly. "I've been mapping stars for years," she offered, pulling her attention away from the forest. "The Centaurs use them to predict the future, and it was one of those things we needed to learn for survival."  
"Survival?" Lily leaned around her telescope to look at Amy.  
"Yea, like if we ever get lost, the stars can be used to navigate," she answered drumming her fingers again. "Do you guys see those fires out there?"  
"What fires?" Hugo and Lily leaned over the wall to look out over the forest. But at the mention of the fires, they went out. Amy cursed in Greek under her breath, they were defiantly signal fires. But who was out there? And how did they find the school?  
The rest of the night, Amy was distracted and barely finished her assignment before the end of the hour. The only reason she turned anything in was because of her fore knowledge of the constellations and positioning of the planets. Granted they were all positioned incorrectly for England, and October, but hopefully the professor could look past that.  
On the way back to Gryffindor Tower, while the rest of the first years talked about the next day, and the homework they had all put off for entirely too long yet again, Lily and Hugo tried to pry more information from Amy, but she barely heard them. She kept staring out the windows, looking for the flickering light of distant fires.  
"Amy, come on, we have to go to bed," Lily called from the steps leading up to the girl's dormitory.  
"I'll be right there," Amy responded, dropping her school bag on the floor and heading down to the restrooms.  
Once again Amy turned on the tap and watched the water pour from the faucet as she dug the golden Drachma from her pocket. She knew someone was out there, someone who had trained in New Rome. With any luck Percy and Annabeth could tell her how many demigods were in the UK.  
Amy pulled a knut from her pocket, twirling the small bronze coin through her fingers as she stared at the tap. She needed a rainbow to Iris Message someone, and the only way she could think to do that would be to jam something in the pipes. Would a knut be large enough for that? She really hoped so.  
Quickly Amy jammed the coin in the faucet, turning it so that the water came out in a high arching mist over the tiled bathroom floor. Soaking wet she backed away from the sink and stared at the water, looking for a rainbow.  
"Iris, hear my plea," she whispered holding the Drachma to her lips. "If you're not too busy, I need to talk to Percy Jackson." Holding her breath, Amy flipped the coin through the air into the fine mist spraying from the clogged faucet.  
"Hush little baby, don't you cry, daddy's gonna sing you a lullaby," Percy Jackson sat on the porch of the Big House, holding Marina in his lap as he rocked her to sleep. He was so focused on the child he failed to notice the Iris Message hovering in front of him. And Amy hated to disturb the moment.  
"Percy," she called in a quiet whisper, not wanting to bother the child in New York or anyone still awake in Gryffindor Tower.  
"Amy," Percy looked up quickly. "What's wrong? Has something happened?" He whispered harshly, looking around for someone to hand his daughter off too.  
"No, it's nothing like that," she held her hands up to calm the man down. "I just need to know if there are any Romans in England?"  
"There can't be," Percy frowned.  
"You're sure?"  
"The Romans don't cross the Atlantic, they would be considered traitors, hunted down and killed. Why?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously at her through the Iris Message. "What's happening?"  
"It's nothing, forget I even asked," Amy smiled and wiped her hand through the message before Percy could say anything else.  
Talking to Percy had done the opposite of what Amy had been hoping for. Now someone was out there, trying to contact her, and they did not answer to the Praetors or the Roman Senate. There were demigods in England, and she had no connection to them at all.  
With any luck they were friendly.

* * *

On Halloween, while the rest of the students were at the feast, Amy slipped out the front doors and started across the grounds. Since the night she had first seen the fires, they had appeared every night. Someone was trying to contact her, someone wanted her to venture out into the forest.  
And being the reckless demigod she was, Amy was going to find out what was going on, alone.  
The dark trees loomed over her as Amy started past the old Game Keeper's hut. The long dark windows reflecting the meager starlit offered on the cold autumn night. She gazed up at the towering structure for a moment, wondering briefly if the one signaling her could be holed up in the abandoned cabin.  
Pulling her sword from the inside of her robes, she shook the thought away. The cabin was too close to the castle, it could easily be surrounded, it was hardly defendable for any extended amount of time. Who ever had come would never claim it for anything besides a brief lookout post. Her hand tightened around the hilt of her sword.  
The trees making up the forest were ancient, the underbrush thick and undisturbed. It could have easily been a few decades since someone had dared to venture past the boundary. She took a deep breath as she started to weave through the new growth, her feet sliding over the uneven ground. This was just like home.  
It felt like no time had passed while Amy was in the forest. Granted the lack of visibility from the stars made it hard to gage the time, and the stillness of the forest near the castle gave the impression of frozen time. Then the undergrowth thinned out to nothing and Amy found herself standing on a well worn path.  
"No point in walking around in the dark," Amy muttered reaching for her wand. "Lumos," she whispered holding the wand up to give her a glowing sphere of white light.  
On the rise of the next hill she saw a familiar sight, a centaur. She smiled briefly, the point of her sword falling to rest on the ground. Centaurs were something she could handle.  
"What business does a student have in the forest?" He held a bow, the arrow knocked and drawn. But Amy was use to threats, this was inside her realm of knowledge.  
"You must have seen the fires," this was a far cry from the Party Ponies opening, but Amy would have rather gotten straight to the point anyway.  
"There are intruders at the far edge of the forest," the centaur responded guardedly. "The protection around the school stops those without the special capabilities from entering."  
"So you know where they are?" she dared to ask the centaur.  
"Does it matter?" the centaur challenged.  
Amy swallowed, burying the tip of her sword in the ground. "It's Celestial Bronze," her voice echoed through the towering trees around them as she stepped away from the sword. "The weapon of choice for the Greek Heroes," she held her hand out toward the weapon, inviting the centaur to inspect her weapon and her claim.  
"The girls at the edge of the forest also carry Celestial Bronze," the centaur lowered his bow, looking at her suspiciously. "How did you cross the protections around the school?"  
"I'm a witch." She held her wand up higher, so it was clear of obstruction.  
"And one of the gods' mortal children?" he inquired, pulling his bow to a half draw.  
"Small world," Amy smiled.  
"You live in three worlds young one," the centaur relaxed marginally, but his bow remained taunt.  
"I know, and it's difficult," Amy started, but the centaur cut her off.  
"But?" he asked.  
"No but," she shook her head while maintaining eye contact with the centaur. "I live in three worlds, and I need to find the Heroes lighting the fires. I think it's me they're trying to contact."  
"Those girls are not trying to contact anyone," the centaur sighed trotting toward Amy, finally removing his arrow from the string and returning it to his quiver. "They bring war upon this place."  
"War?" Amy choked on the word. Why would someone bring war to a school? Why would anyone want to start a war?  
"The stars have told of it's coming, we have been expecting something." The centaur nodded gravely as he came to a stop before Amy's sword.  
"And you're not surprised that demigods are involved?"  
"The human children of the gods are always involved in war. They are called heroes for a reason." Amy swallowed again, looking up at the centaur. "And you, child of the gods, are at the center of the encroaching war."  
"Me?" her throat felt dry, the word was little more than a breath.  
The centaur nodded looking up at the canopy. The branches seemed to open at the centaur's bidding, revealing the night sky. Amy stared up at the stars, wondering what the centaur saw of her future there.  
"We centaurs have watched the skies for centuries, learning all that can be divined from the ever changing cosmos."  
"I know, I've studied the stars," she spoke staring up at the familiar constellations above her.  
"Not as we have, child," the centaur turned his head to look down on her. "The wizards at the castle, they think they can see the future, divine events with some form of bending of the natural magic around us." He sighed, looking back up at the sky. "But we have watched the skies, we know what will happen, because it has all happened before."  
Amy nodded. She knew how the stars told of events past, and how they foretold the future. "I studied the skies at the hero camp, under Chiron."  
"The trainer of heroes," a small smile split the centaur's features as he stared at the twinkling lights high above them. "I had heard he was still teaching the half-bloods, it is good to know some of our knowledge is passed to the humans."  
"Can you contact the heroes lighting the fires?"  
"Why would I?"  
"I want to know who's out there. What they want."  
"They want war." The centaur looked down on her again, "that is what all humans want."  
"Not me," Amy bit back a smile at the centaur, holding her wand up higher to look at him. "I'm a child of Hecate, the goddess of decisions, choices."  
"And this makes you less likely to fight? To cause strife for others around you?" the centaur laughed, but there was no humor in the action.  
"No, not at all," she smiled at the centaur. "I just like to know all the facts when making a decision."  
"And what decision are you about to make, child of Hecate?" a single brow rose towards the centaur's dark hairline.  
"I don't know yet, it hasn't been offered to me." Her smile was disarming as she wrapped her hand back around her sword, pulling it from the ground. She backed away from the centaur, holding the weapon down to show she meant no harm.  
"My name is Amelia Wilkes," she called at the edge of the clearing where she had spoken with the centaur. "I'm sure you'll know how to find me."


	13. Chapter 13

"Why are you two not at the Halloween Feast?"  
It was bad enough that Hugo had talked her into following after Amy, who was a far cry from sneaky. But why did both of her brothers have to notice?  
"Why aren't you two at the feast?" Hugo countered. Lily could have punched him. That was a horrible tactic, answering with a repeat of the question only raised suspicions.  
"And where is Amy? Isn't she normally the one giving out the schemes?" Al's head tilted to one side, squinting as he talked about the American Lily and Hugo had befriended.  
James grinned at Al, watching Lily and Hugo's faces fall. "I think she's leading the charge on this one, Al." Al smiled back knowingly.  
"And where has your friend run off to?" Al turned to James, his knowing smile spreading a little farther. "I'm willing to bet it has something to do with the fires in the forest."  
"What fires in the forest?" Hugo narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the elder boys.  
"There haven't been any fires," Lily shook her head. "Everyone would have been talking about it." She had not heard anyone talking about fires in the forest, and Lily liked to think of herself as well informed. No one had said anything about fires in the forest since that night in Astrology when Amy mentioned them. Surely she would have heard talk of fires so near the school.  
"Plenty of people are talking about it," Al answered boastfully, straightening as he did so and looking down his nose at Lily.  
"And I'm thinking Amy is observant enough to have noticed them." James straightened beside his brother. "She rarely misses anything."  
"And she would be curious enough to take this chance to find out what's going on out there," Al continued, folding his arms over his chest.  
"And the map, agrees with you," James pulled the old map from his pocket, holding it up for Lily and Hugo to see. They leaned in to get a better look, but all they could see was a blank bit of parchment.  
"What do you want?" Lily asked, sighing in defeat.  
"Amy went into the Forbidden Forest, and being the responsible, caring older brothers and cousins that we are."  
"We can't allow two first years to venture in there alone to find their friend," Al finished opening the door for Lily and Hugo. "After you," he bowed mockingly.  
James led the way to the forest, following the access point Amy had used by the old Game Keeper's cabin.  
"Are you sure she came this way?" Hugo asked while they crept through the forest.  
The four of them were trying to stay close as they fought their way through the dense foliage. Four pinpoints of light signaling where they were in the deepening darkness around them. Lily and Hugo were convinced that the boys leading the expedition were completely lost.  
"We watched her on the map," James answered over his shoulder, pulling his robes free of a young tree that had snagged him. "She walked past that hut and entered the forest."  
"Was she going anywhere in particular?" Lily asked, holding her wand up a little higher so James could see what he was doing. "Is there even anything out here in the forest?"  
"There are lots of things in the forest, Lily," Al scoffed pulling James free and pushing him deeper into the forest. "It's forbidden because it's dangerous."  
"But that's never stopped you, has it?" Hugo asked sidestepping a large scrub bush.  
"Maybe once or twice," Al and James shrugged after sharing a brief look.  
"Let me guess, someone was following you?" Lily raised her brow skeptically at her brothers.  
"It's possible, but that's beside the point."  
"Then what is the point?"  
"The point is, we know the forest like the backs of our hands," Al smiled as they stepped out of the brush on a path winding through the forest. "And we know the direction she was heading when she went off the edge of the map."  
"Doesn't that mean she left the grounds?"  
"No, just the edge of the map," James answered. "The map is the castle and part of the grounds, but the forest is quite extensive."  
"And it changes, unlike the castle," Al continued as he started down the trail. "Like, just last term, this trail wrapped around that tree and went up the bank just there," he pointed to a withering white oak whose roots were the only thing left of the bank he was talking about.  
"So that means you don't know where this goes?" Lily narrowed her eyes at Al and James. "Which means we're no better than we would have been coming in here alone." It was a statement, not a question.  
"We've been in the forest before, we know how to avoid the giant spiders, centaurs, and other devilish creatures in here."  
"We're not afraid of spiders, centaurs or any other creepy crawly thing in here," Hugo straightened as he confronted his cousins. "And we're perfectly capable of not getting into trouble."  
"You're just first years, what could you possibly know about not getting into trouble?" James challenged, laughing mockingly at the younger pair.  
"Obviously more than you," Al sniggered, "you've already cost Gryffindor house dozens of points." Al took off down the trail, avoiding the thrashing he knew his brother would try to give him.  
"I have not!" James screamed, tearing after Al down the winding path.  
"Al!"  
"James!"  
Hugo and Lily took off blindly after James and Al, nearly tripping over the twining tree roots lacing the worn path. The four of them ran deeper and deeper into the forest, shouting at one another, as Al laughed leading the way. They finally stopped when they came to a crossroads in the forest.  
"I don't remember this being here," Al looked up at the towering tree the path split to go around.  
"Yeah, I think we would have remembered a tree this large, and damaged."  
The top of the tree was missing, as if it had been ripped off by a giant. And it had never been able to straighten after the trauma. But it was still growing, out as opposed to up giving off the impression of a balding middle aged man.  
"What do you think did that?" Lily breathed looking up at the tree is awe.  
"And do you think it's still nearby?" Hugo gulped taking a small step back from the towering tree.  
"Can't be," James shook his head. "The wound's healed. This happened a long time ago."  
"Are you sure?"  
James screamed turning around hearing someone speaking behind him, knocking Al over in the process. The pair fell into the roots of the ancient tree, tangled together. Lily and Hugo laughed as Amy lit her wand, lifting it up to see James and Al as they fought to regain some dignity.  
"I thought you could handle the creepy crawlies?" Lily asked innocently watching them try and climb back to their feet. "Or is she not creepy enough to be crawly?"  
"She's sneaky, not creepy or crawly," James grunted as he climbed to his feet, leaving Al to get up on his own.  
"And mean," Al added dusting his robes off as he stood.  
"Why are you out in the forest?" Lily turned to face Amy, seeing the sword in her hand for the first time. "And why do you have a sword?!"  
Amy looked down at the sword in her hand, her eyes growing wide in shock and surprise. When she had come across the four of them in the forest, she meant only to startle them, like she would have at camp. In the spur of the moment she had forgotten that this was not Camp Half-Blood, and no one knew she had a sword.  
"I—I don't have a—a sword," she stammered dropping it quickly on the ground. "It's just a s—stick. I pick them up while I'm walking. I need something to do with my hands, it's a very old habit of mine," she lied quickly, waving her free hand quickly.  
"It's a sword, Amy. We can all see it," Hugo reached out to pick up the weapon between himself and Amy.  
"No, no, it's just a stick," Amy laughed forcefully, her free hand waving in a small circle as she tried to pull the Mist in to change the appearance of the weapon. "Why would, why would I have sword?"  
The Mist changed the weapon to look like a stick, but it was taking far too long. As her friends stared at it, Amy was certain they would pick it up anyway. If they could see it as a sword would it be able to cut them? Celestial Bronze was harmless to mortals, but did witches and wizards share that invulnerability? Or would injuring themselves with the blade have the same effect as it did on monsters and Heroes?  
Amy would really rather not find out.  
"Obviously to defend yourself against the centaurs, they're a right foul lot," James bent down to pick up the sword.  
"Don't be ridiculous, I could never hold my own against a centaur, they're trained in ancient ways," Amy forced another laugh, kicking her sword away from James' outstretched hand.  
"How would you know that?" James frowned looking up at Amy. "You were raised by muggles, weren't you?"  
"No one said her mother's family are muggles, they could be Greek wizards," Hugo folded his arms over his chest.  
"And there are centaurs everywhere," Lily defended Amy quickly, standing between James and the sword, which finally looked like a tree branch. "Mum and dad talk about them all the time."  
"Quiet Lily," Al snapped, forcefully moving her so he could get at the tree branch. "This is no time to be smart. The girl has a sword!"  
"It's not a sword," Amy snapped her fingers under Al's nose, hoping to cloud his vision with the Mist. "It's just a stick."  
"You're so dense Al," Hugo moved so he was standing next to Lily. "Too much pumpkin juice or something. Why would she have a sword?"  
"I know what I saw, you all saw it too," Al turned to James, knowing his brother would back him in his claim. "You saw it, didn't you, James?"  
"I saw something," James agreed slowly. "And it wasn't a tree branch," he narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the three first years.  
"Things are never what they seem," Amy gave another very forced smile. She never imagined that she would use that sentence to cover up the Mist, not expose the uses of it. "It must have been a trick of the light."  
"Yeah, must have been," James shook his head, looking around the trees. "We should probably head back, before someone notices we're gone."  
"If they haven't already," Amy looked up at the canopy, she could just barely see the stars through the changing autumn leaves. "It's close to midnight."  
"How do we get back from here?" Lily and Hugo looked over at James and Al.  
The older boys looked at one another, then at the trees around them. The forest looked very different in the dark than it did during the daytime. And as they had said earlier, it had changed from the last time they had ventured in.  
Truth be told, they were slightly lost.  
"You two are completely hopeless," Amy sighed picking her sword back up and quickly hiding it in her robes. "Come on, the castle's this way."  
Lifting her wand up to light the way, Amy led the way back to the castle.


	14. Chapter 14

The weeks leading up to the return of the heroes for winter vacation were long and uneventful. Erika's foul mood dissolved around Thanksgiving, when she finally received a letter from Amy. It was a very formal letter, but it was more than she had received up to that point. She only hoped that Amy's owl actually delivered her response to her sister.  
At the end of the second week of December, the delegation from New Rome returned with a delegation of Romans who would spend the winter months at Camp Half-Blood. Piper and Jason were part of the delegation, along with their young daughter. The next week heroes started arriving at the camp, bearing news about their lives in the mortal world.  
Percy and Annabeth traveled to and returned from London, without Amy. They had received word from one of her newly acquired friends that Amy was just going to stay at the school over the break. They would have preferred if Amy had just sent them a letter or an Iris Message saying that, to save them a trip.  
On the morning of the Winter Solstice, Erika set off one of the bricks forming the Hecate Cabin, turning everyone a very Grinchy shade of green. The following day she used magic to conjure a large snow storm over the Big House, which completely buried the three story house in a snow drift in a matter of hours. At the end of the week Erika released all of the pegasi from the stable and scattered them on the winds.  
Most of the winter break, while the others were training and catching up their siblings and fellow campers, Erika was in the armory cleaning, polishing, and sharpening everything. On a few occasions she was joined by Beth and Heather, who had purposefully gotten into trouble so they had time to speak with Erika. Nothing they said ever had any effect on the girl, not even the talk about venturing to England to find the magic school Amy attended.  
"We shouldn't have set those fires," Beth sighed after one particularly long session of cleaning armor. "That's why Amy didn't return from London. She thinks someone's still there."  
"No, it should have helped her decide to come back once and for all. It should have swayed her to seek council from Chiron."  
"Or she's messaged someone and learned that it could be a threat," Beth frowned tapping her fingers on her folded arms. "I didn't think that she would want to miss Christmas with Erika, even with a possible threat sitting on the edge of her school grounds."  
"We might have miscalculated, they didn't make up before Amy left," Heather clicked her tongue. "And this would be the only trip she would have made home before the end of the school year."  
"Do you think we could advance the plans? Make our move before they start classes again?"  
Heather shook her head quickly, stopping beside the canteen. "No, we're not ready. Joel is still debating joining our crusade. And Devin still needs to be persuaded that this is a good idea."  
"We don't need all of them, just a few from each cabin," Beth turned to look over her shoulder. "And the ones we need have all agreed."  
"Except Erika," Heather frowned, turning away from Beth to stare at the arena. They could hear the campers' melee from where they stood, the clash of the swords ringing in the cold winter air. "We can't do anything if Erika doesn't want to stand with us."  
"We're after war, not vengeance," Beth followed Heather's gaze, listening to the melee, and the barking of the camp's Hellhound, Mrs. O'Leary.  
"What would be the plausible cause for us to go to all the way to the UK, to rescue Amy from these strangers, if we don't have Erika?" Heather challenged.  
Beth's mouth opened in response, but there was nothing she could say. This whole scheme to cause a war between the demigods and the wizards sat on the need for Erika to want to fight them in order to save her sister and return her to Half-Blood Hill. If Erika did not join them, there would be no reason to attack the magic school. While Romans and Greeks had been age old enemies, demigods had no quarrel with people who practiced witchcraft.  
"We never cared about those two before, Chiron would never allow us to go," Heather continued when Beth failed to respond. "It would be suspicious if we suddenly cared about Amy after she left."  
"It's not like he would let us go anyway," Beth sighed, her fingers drumming on her arm again. "He doesn't approve of causing war. Very few people do, actually."  
"Which is why we need Erika," Heather snapped her fingers, pointing to where the young child of Hecate was being escorted from the arena by Percy. "And it looks like she's already in trouble again."

* * *

"What were you thinking?" Percy felt like he and Erika had shared this conversation more than anyone else, ever. He had a new found appreciation for Annabeth putting up with him all those years; he must have driven her at least this mad.  
And he doubted he would be able to create the answer Erika would try this time. In the past three days alone she had tried being possessed by evil spirits, forced too by Hermes campers, memory loss, the blame game, accidents, loss of control over her arm, leg and once her head. She had claimed that it was due to faulty armor that campers were getting hurt, it was their own stupidity that had caused them to turn green, and she had nothing to do with the bizarre snowstorm that had finally subsided around the Big House; that somehow became Amy's doing, all the way from across the Atlantic Ocean.  
"I was thinking, you were still trying to shovel out the Big House," Erika snapped, trying to pull her arm free of Percy Jackson's vice like grip. "And I was thinking if anything could handle a little trip to a chop-shop, it would be your pet monster."  
"Mrs. O'Leary is not a monster, and she doesn't take well to being attacked," Percy glared down at the girl.  
"Really? I had no idea," Erika winced as she stumbled on her freshly injured leg. Percy stopped and straightened her up, taking some of her weight from the injury. Erika looked away from him, determined not to apologize or thank him.  
"If you had hit her, Mrs. O'Leary would have been sent to Tartarus, just like any other Hellhound."  
"Because she's a monster," Erika muttered darkly, staring at the ground as Percy started toward the Big House once more, half dragging her behind him.  
"I don't know what's gotten into you, but it needs to stop," Percy did not miss the child's snide remark. He had been keeping a very close eye on Erika since the Winter Solstice when her reign of terror had been rekindled, and he was failing to see the cause for the anger. "You're not helping any cause by tormenting people."  
"It makes me feel better," Erika frowned at the man. "Knowing that everyone else is miserable makes me feel less miserable."  
"They're not miserable, we're annoyed," Percy gritted his teeth to keep from raising his voice at the girl. "And soon everyone's patience is going to run out."  
"Good!" Erika snapped, stomping her foot down on Percy's toes. "I hope it happens today!"  
"Why?" Percy's grip tightened around Erika's arm, the opposite reaction she was aiming for. "What good is this doing anyone?"  
Erika and Percy stared at one another, her hazel eyes locked on his green ones. She had no argument, she had lacked any solid form of argument since the middle of August; but that had never stopped Erika from fighting. And even with the ground quickly falling out from beneath her feet, she was still going to fight Percy.  
"You wouldn't understand," Erika finally growled, trying to pull her arm free.  
"Because it makes no sense!" Percy stopped and turned Erika so she was standing directly in front of him, forcing her to listen. "And I would know, Erika, I'm known for plans that don't make sense."  
"Then you shouldn't be questioning me, it'll obviously end well," Erika snapped, a growl rumbling in her chest. "I'll get back to you when I get to the happy ending," she dug her fingers under Percy's palm in an attempt to free herself, his grip tightened further.  
"I'm afraid it's not going to work that way," Percy sighed, shaking his head as he started toward the Big House again. "So why don't we just talk this out; like civilized people?"  
"There's nothing to talk about," Erika slipped her arm out of the sleeve of her hoodie, meaning to take the shirt off to escape another punishment from Percy and Chiron.  
Percy was wise to the trick, he wrapped his arm around the girl's waist and lifted her off the ground. "There's obviously something to talk about," he grunted, struggling to keep a firm hold on the wriggling preteen as he continued toward the Big House.  
"You're just making things worse for yourself," Percy started up the steps for the porch, following the thin trail they had carved out of the snow bank.  
"Let me go!" Erika screamed, catching the door frame as Percy started into the house. "I'm done listening to you, and letting you make all the decisions for me. I'm tired of everyone trying to do something for me, I just want to be alone!"  
As Erika screamed, the storm returned to the Big House. The snows swirled around the bank, the wind howled around them. Percy shielded his eyes as he slid in front of Erika to protect her from the snows. Her wails rose in pitch from terror as Percy rushed into the Big House.  
"Percy, what's happening?" Annabeth stood on the steps to the second floor.  
"The storm's back," Percy shook his head, dislodging the ice and snow that had gathered there. "Stronger than ever," he glanced down at Erika. "Now you're going to have to talk to us, you don't have a choice."  
"There's always a choice," Erika sniffed, rubbing her cheeks with the heels of her hands. "And there's nothing to talk about!"  
Erika rushed past Percy, throwing the door open and running into the icy vortex. Percy and Annabeth both ran after her, reaching out to take hold of the child before she left the safety of the house. Neither of them managed, they stood in the door watching the girl vanish into the snow.

* * *

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Beth caught Erika as she burst from the white vortex, taking several large steps back to keep from falling over as she smaller girl crashed into her. "Calm down there."  
"Let me go," Erika launched herself forward off the ground, overbalancing the daughter of Ares and laying her out on the ground. Using the momentum of the fall, Erika rolled up to her feet and took off again.  
"We just want to talk to you," Heather caught the girl around the waist, spinning around and sending the girl back towards Beth.  
"Well I don't want to talk to you, either of you," Erika stopped between the pair, her hands raised defensively.  
"We just want to help you," Heather smiled, holding her hands up, her open palms facing Erika.  
"We have a proposition for you," Beth continued mirroring Heather.  
"Not interested," Erika growled. "I'm leaving," slowly Erika backed away from Beth and Heather. Once she was out of their reach she turned and started running.  
"It's about Amy," Beth called after her.  
Erika stopped.  
"We think she might be in some sort of trouble," Heather continued.  
Erika turned to face them.  
"We've tried to contact her."  
"But there was no answer."  
"And she didn't come back for the break," Beth shrugged as if it was inconsequential.  
"How were you trying to contact her?"  
"Fires," Heather answered.  
"And she didn't answer them?"  
"She's not here."  
"Now is she?"


	15. Chapter 15

Amy clicked her tongue as she dropped the point of her sword into the fresh coating of snow. Her sword arm felt like jell-o, doubtlessly because of the better half of four months spent not using it. But knowing the cause hardly made the pain go away, and did little to strengthen the soft muscles.  
"That was a pitiful block," Firenze returned his sword to the sheath strapped across his back.  
"I told you I was out of practice," Amy gasped pulling her breast plate over her head with one hand. "I haven't been able to spar with anyone since the end of August."  
"When you came to the school, you have told us," Firenze, like any other good trainer, felt no sympathy for her. That was something Amy was thankful for, she would never be ready to fight the possible enemies lingering at the edge of the forest otherwise. "And that does not give you reason to have allowed you skills with the sword to have slipped this far."  
"No, it doesn't," Amy agreed, running her fingers through her hair to get the auburn locks out of her eyes. "There's never an excuse to allow a honed skill to slacken."  
"Eloquently put," Firenze allowed a small smile to show as he gave the girl the water bottle she had brought out from the castle. "That will be all for today."  
"I'm good, we can keep going," Amy protested, wiping excess water away from her mouth with the back of her hand.  
"No, it's getting late. Someone at the school will notice you're missing," the centaur looked up at the tree canopy.  
"There's hardly anyone at the school, it's winter holiday," Amy gasped shaking her head, starting to pull her armor back on. "And so long as I show up before curfew no one will notice anything."  
"Then they have not noticed the bruising?" Amy's arms were riddled with vibrant bruises from her training sessions. It hardly bothered her; she was accustomed to the minor injuries that came with practicing swordsmanship. The bruised ribs were another matter, but she would not let that stop her either.  
"It's cold in the castle," Amy answered as she tightened the straps on the side of her breast plate. "The sleeves cover it pretty well," Amy smiled straightening and holding her sword up.  
"No, Amelia. We are finished for today," Firenze motioned for Amy to put her sword away. "Now go, before they miss you at the castle."  
Amy huffed as her sword dropped to the ground, "come on. Just one more round," she begged, her lips puckering pitifully.  
"I have other obligations this afternoon, and the train is due in tonight. You should be at the castle when your friends return."  
"Tonight?" Amy looked up at the canopy, realizing how long the shadows were. "I hadn't realized it was January yet."  
"It is, until next time," Firenze bowed with his head.  
"Yea," Amy turned to face the school, "Whenever that will be," she slammed her sword down in her sheath as she started running down the now familiar trail leading back to the school greenhouses.  
How could she have allowed the entire winter holiday to pass and not realize it? How could she have missed a whole month? She hoped she made it back to the Gryffindor Common Room before the students got back on the train, she hoped she would never have to explain the armor and sword.  
She hoped at the very least she beat the train.  
Once she had slipped up between the third and fourth greenhouses, Amy pulled on a jacket to hide her breast plate and the bracers on her arms as she ran the length of the houses toward the doors of the castle. She used the Mist to make her Celestial Bronze weapon more or less invisible, ran her fingers through her hair one last time to try and hide the fact that she had been sparring, and opened the front door of the Castle. The entry way was filled with trunks and cages; she could hear people talking in the Great Hall. They were back.  
"Oh, what's this? Little first year's back early from the forest?" Peeves sang, following after Amy as she started up the stairs toward the tower.  
"I'm not early," Amy ducked into a shortcut James had showed her, trying to reach the tower before anyone left dinner. "The train is."  
"Train's not early," Peeves cackled following closely after Amy up the staircase. "But I am curious as to why you came back early?"  
"I'm not early," Amy repeated, casting a glare over her shoulder at the Poltergeist. "And haven't you bothered me enough the last few weeks?"  
Peeves opened his mouth to respond, but snapped it shut just as quickly as Amy continued talking.  
"I mean, everyone's back now, just imagine the possibilities waiting for you down there." Peeves looked down at the floor, imagining the Great Hall bursting with students fresh from their winter holiday. "They'll actually have a reaction, I'm just burnt out. On all of this," she waved her hands around, encompassing the back and forth she had been suffering through with Peeves while most of the students were away.  
"While I hate to admit it, she may be right," Peeves straightened stroking his chin in thought. He narrowed his eyes at Amy, judging his options carefully. "I'll find out why you're early," he finally decided, "but first I have other business to tend too."  
Amy sighed in relief as Peeves floated away from her, back toward the Great Hall. She started running up the stairs again, more determined than ever to reach the tower before the rest of the Gryffindors.  
"Well you're early," the Fat Lady commented when Amy stopped on the landing.  
"I'm not early," Amy gasped as she turned to look over her shoulder. "Has anyone else come up?"  
"Why?" the Fat Lady sniffed, turning her nose up. "And, why are you back early?"  
"Because of the train," Amy answered, raising her brow as she waited for the Fat Lady to respond. "Has anyone else come up?"  
"Several have been up," the Fat Lady yawned boredly, "are you asking about someone in particular?"  
"Anyone who left for Christmas."  
"No, I haven't seen any of them," the Fat Lady answered after a few minutes thought.  
Amy sighed again, she had made it then. "_Mandragora,_" the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open revealing the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. "Thanks."  
The Common Room was empty, just like it had been every other day when she came back from training with the centaurs. She ran up the stairs to her room, peeling layers away quickly and dropping the armor and weapon in her trunk. "I've been looking for you," Amy dropped the lid of her trunk and promptly sat on it hearing Lily enter the room.  
"I've been here," Amy half laughed motioning to the room.  
"I was just up here," Lily smiled crossing the room and wrapping her arms around Amy. "I've missed—ugh. You're soaking wet!"  
"I was in a bath—I'm starving. We should go grab a bite in the Great Hall," Amy smiled, pulling herself away from Lily as she stood and started toward the door. "Come on, I want to hear about your holiday."  
"If you were in a bath, why are you wearing those filthy clothes?" Lily stared at the mud stains on Amy's denim jeans and sweat soaked shirt.  
"I don't, have anything clean," Amy answered haltingly, her brow puckering. "It doesn't matter, I rewear clothes at home all the time."  
"Even when they're filthy?"  
"They'll just get dirty again," Amy laughed, grasping for a way to change the subject. "But that's not important, you went home. I want to hear all about it, with Hugo—because I know the two of you were together for at least part of the break."  
"What have you really been doing?" Lily looked over to Amy's trunk. "And why were you sitting on your trunk?"  
"I always sit on my trunk," Amy answered quickly, which was true. Growing up in a cabin with a dozen other children of Hecate, Amy had often sat on her foot locker to keep the others out of it. When she had come to Hogwarts, she had continued the habit.  
"When you're hiding something," Lily grabbed the lid and started to lift it. Amy rushed across the room and sat on the trunk again, old habits die hard. "What are you hiding?"  
"Nothing," she smiled, using it to hide the intense focus she was using to cloud the items in her trunk with the Mist. "It's just, it's all a mess in there, you know, and most of my clothes are filthy. It's just not something I want anyone else to see."  
"I know you're a slob," Lily furrowed her brow as she looked down at Amy and her trunk. "We all know you're a slob," Lily's eyes scanned the room, taking note of belongings Amy had scattered over the dorm room.  
"But I've had the whole room to myself since the end of last term, its worse than it ever was," Amy rambled swatting Lily's hand away from the trunk as she did so. "So how about we talk about your holiday."  
"It was just like every other holiday, we met at granddad and grandma Weasley's on Christmas Day, shared a room with some of my cousins for a week, fought, bickered, and made up with everyone twice and went home for a little peace before coming back to school. Now, what have you been doing all of winter break, and don't say 'nothing' because nothing doesn't cause stains like those."  
"I spent some time out by the lake, hung out in the greenhouses, scoped out the library," Amy shrugged, making up activities was something she was good at. "You know they have books in there about everything?"  
"That's why it's called the library," Lily frowned. "And we've been in the library, it's where we did research for our essays all last term."  
"I know, but we never got to the interesting books, like the detailed accounts about the giant wars; the cultural norms of trolls; a history of the West, translated by Nicolas Flamel from Greek to French and then English. Gods, the information in there is so much greater than astrology, or basic herbology and transfiguration."  
"So what? You actually looked stuff up?" Lily laughed.  
"A little," Amy shrugged. "So, how about we head down to the Great Hall and grab a bite?"  
Lily frowned again, but turned to leave the room just the same. "Come on, Hugo's looking for you somewhere."  
Amy smiled standing up and starting for the door. She came level with Lily just before they reached the open door, and realized her mistake a second too late. Lily opened Amy's trunk before Amy had even fully turned around, and lifted the breast plate with both hands.  
"What's this?" she asked staring at her reflection in the dull bronze armor.  
"Nothing," Amy snatched the breast plate and shoved it back in her trunk, closing and locking it.  
"That was armor," Lily looked Amy in the eye, daring her friend to deny what she had in her trunk. "And there was a sword in," Lily's mouth fell open as her eyes grew wide in shock. "On Halloween you had a sword out in the forest. What are you doing in the forest?"  
"I was rusty, my muscles were soft like jell-o and the fires out there mean something," Amy answered looking out the window, in the distance she could see the pin-point of light marking the first fire of the night.  
"The fires in the forest? You've been out there trying to find whoever's setting the fires, haven't you?"  
"Of course not!" Amy defended herself quickly, possibly too quickly. She knew who was setting the fires, she was just getting ready for an attack.  
"That's why you changed your mind at the last minute and stayed here for holiday? So you could spend time out in the forest trying to figure out who was setting the fires."  
"No," Amy shook her head. "I stayed because I didn't want to bother Percy and Annabeth with another trip to London."  
"What's really going on here? Why do you have that armor and weapon?" Lily folded her arms, standing resolutely as she waited for Amy to answer.  
"I really can't tell you," Amy answered, her head lowering in regret. "It's against the rules, it's a danger to you and everyone else."  
"What rules? Who made them?"  
"I can't tell you that either," Amy whispered in response. "And now you can't tell anyone either."  
"I'm telling everyone," Lily started toward the door, but Amy blocked her way.  
"I'm sorry, but you can't," Amy raised her hands up, and using the Mist changed Lily's memory about their conversation in girl's dormitory.  
Lily blinked rapidly, shaking her head. "What were you saying?"  
"I was saying; I can't wait to get to supper. I'm starving," Amy gave a forced smile to set Lily at ease. She was too good at lying.  
"Me too," Lily smiled as she passed Amy. "Let's go before dinner's over."  
Still smiling Amy started after Lily, but as soon as she fell in step behind her friend Amy's smile vanished. She had just used the Mist to change Lily's memories, which meant Lily was too close to her.


	16. Chapter 16

"Here is your timetable," Professor Hale handed Amy the sheet of parchment with the first years schedule for the second term.  
"Thank you professor," Amy smiled as dropped the paper in her bag. "How was your holiday?"  
"Fine, thank you," Hale answered as she handed a group of seventh years their schedule.  
Amy smiled after the professor. Once she was further down the table, Amy frowned looking at the empty plates around her. Lily and Hugo had left the tower before Amy woke up that morning, and she still had not seen them. There were only so many places in the castle they could go, and that was even further limited by the early hour of their disappearance. Amy woke at five thirty, it was a habit from her life at camp, and they were already gone.  
She drummed her fingers on her either side of her plate, running through everything that had happened between her reunion with her friends the night before and when they went to bed. Nothing apart from slight control over the Mist with Lily stuck out. So, in theory, there was no reason for Lily or Hugo to be avoiding her.  
"Eating alone?"  
"No," Amy snapped, her fingers stilling instantly. "I'm just waiting on Lily and Hugo."  
"Why so angry?" James slid into a seat beside Amy, reaching across her plate to grab a pastry from the laden tray.  
"Must you do that every time?" She looked up at him with annoyance. She was even further annoyed by his charming smile. If he just acted like a decent human-being she would not have minded his constant presence.  
"Do what?" he asked through his mouthful of apple danish. And if he developed a few manners, she would like him a little more.  
"The exact same tray is on that side of you," she pointed at the baked tarts on the platter on James' other side. "There always is, and every time you sit beside me at any meal you reach across my plate, homework, letter, or whatever I'm doing to take one from the platter on this side of me."  
"I do that?" he asked in mock surprise and confusion.  
"And then you follow with a stupid question," she folded her arms looking at him.  
"Okay, maybe I do that, but," James smiled as he let the sentence hang unfinished.  
"But?" Amy took the bait, it was better than sitting alone at the table.  
"I just received the best news ever."  
"Better than being sorted into Gryffindor, making Seeker for the house team in your second year, winning _almost _every match of Quidditch you've ever played for Gryffindor, or ensuring that Gryffindor won the House Cup?" Amy retorted, listing off just a few of the "best news ever" events James had ever talked about.  
"Yes, much better," James smiled, ignoring the obvious sarcasm in Amy's question. "I'm going to be Quidditch Captain next year."  
"But?" Amy's brow furrowed as she looked at James, her mind processing the information. "I thought Thomas was only a sixth year."  
"She is, but poor Angel has N.E. next year, she's a mess already. And she decided to step down from her role as captain."  
"And you just had to tell me," Amy smiled forcefully at James. "Why am I so lucky?"  
"Because, I want you to come to practice this afternoon, and join us," James grinned, his eyes moving briefly over to where the rest of the Quidditch team was sitting. They were, as always in the middle of a joke, mimicking someone and pointing across the hall to whoever they were discussing. "I think you'd fit in quite nicely."  
"I can't take Thomas' place if she's just stepping down," Amy raised her brow at James. There was no way Professor Hale was going to allow James to kick the previous captain off the Quidditch team. And the rest of the team would have a lot to say about that as well, James' rein as captain would be short lived.  
"No, but Kingsley is a seventh year, and I have a position to fill," James wrapped his arm Amy's shoulders. "Just imagine it, you playing Chaser for the greatest interschool Quidditch team."  
"I think, I'd rather not," Amy smiled pulling herself away from James and standing. "I have Charms," she turned on her heel and walked away.  
In the charms classroom, Lily and Hugo had already claimed the prime seats in the back of the room, and had their books open. As Amy slid in her seat beside Hugo, just as the bell rang, they both turned to her. She gave them a quizzical look as she pulled her charms book out of her bag.  
"What?" she mouthed, vaguely listening as Professor Gladis explained what they were doing that day.  
"What did you do over the holiday?"  
"I told you already," Amy answered looking between Hugo and Lily in confusion. "Did you think I was lying?"  
"We saw you in London," Hugo answered almost hesitantly turning to look at Gladis as she began passing out feathers. "Well, Lily saw you—what are we doing?"  
"We're reviewing everything from last term," Amy answered. "And I wasn't in London, you can ask Nearly Headless Nick."  
"I told you it wasn't her," Hugo turned to look at Lily. "Why would she tell us to tell her family that she wasn't going home, if she was just going to sneak away to London?"  
"It was her," Lily hissed in response. "I think I would be able to recognize one of my best friends."  
"It was not!" Hugo returned sharply.  
"I was here," Amy shook her head, her mind reeling.  
She had told Lily and Hugo about her sister, but chose not to mention that they were twins. Generally speaking Amy never talked about the fact she was a twin, and Erika never talked about it either. They tried their hardest to look not like twins, but their hair would currently be about the same length since Erika cut hers at the end of the summer in some stupid attempt at rebellion.  
If they saw Erika in London, she was a long way from New York. And Erika was one of the campers that were rarely allowed out of camp. And since Amy knew Erika so well, she knew her sister was in London without permission.  
"The only way I could have gotten to London was the train, and you would have seen me on the way back to school yesterday," once again she was lying to her friends. She had other means to get to London and back to Hogwarts, but she could never tell Lily and Hugo. "And it's like Hugo said, why would I have you tell Percy and Annabeth I wasn't coming when I was just going to go to London anyway?" Amy took a feather from the box going around the room and passed it over to Hugo and Lily.  
"I could have sworn it was you though," Lily frowned as she took a feather from the box. "This girl looked just like you."  
"Maybe it was trick of the light," Amy offered, hoping she did not sound like she was grasping at straws. If she started sounding super suspicious, they would be convinced it was her Lily saw in London.  
"I told her she was seeing things," Hugo nodded. "I told her you were at school."  
"And what were you two doing out this morning?" Amy asked watching the rest of the class begin practicing their charms. "You missed breakfast, and I had to talk to James. All by myself."  
"We were just talking to Al and Rose about something," Lily answered looking around the room to see what the others were doing.  
"And you skipped breakfast for it?" Amy raised her brow skeptically. When it came to food, Lily and Hugo were as reluctant as Amy to miss any meal. "What were you talking about?"  
"Nothing important," Lily shrugged as Hugo made his feather levitate in front of him. "What did James want today?"  
"He had more 'best news ever' he had to tell me," Amy frowned at her feather, which was refusing to levitate for her. "It was actually the lamest best news stories he's told me too."  
"What's happening for him now?" Lily laughed as Astrid's feather zipped around her head and raced across the room. "Has he been appointed Seeker and Beater for the house team?"  
"I don't think that's possible," Hugo's face was a mask of concentration as he made his feather hover over the table. "How can he look for the Snitch and defend from the Bludgers at the same time?"  
"Thomas is stepping down as captain at the end of the year, and Hale decided James would make a good replacement."  
"Of course she did," Hugo sent his feather down the table toward Astrid, as if proving to her that he could do anything she could do. "Why wouldn't she make James Potter captain in his fifth year? That has to be some sort of bragging right."  
"I don't see what that has to do with you though," Lily's feather finally rose off the table. "I mean apart from James bragging about making captain, I don't see why he had to tell you first."  
"He wants me to come to practice this afternoon, he thinks I'd make a good addition to the team."  
"As second year?" both Lily and Hugo lost their concentration and their feathers fell to the floor around them.  
The outburst drew the attention of the rest of the Gryffindor students, they all turned to Amy, the questions falling out of their mouths. In a matter of moments the whole class had turned to see what the commotion was. Amy felt like she was going to spontaneously combust, she hated being the center of attention.  
"I don't hear practicing," Professor Gladis called in a sing-song voice toward Hugo, Lily and Amy, which was her version of scolding the students.  
"Sorry professor," Amy called, silently begging the rest of the class to go back to reviewing all the charms from the last term.  
"He wants you to play Chaser?" Lily asked as they returned to their Charms work. "As a second year?"  
"He wants me to play with them and see how I work with them. But I don't really want to play for the house team."  
"What?!"  
"Potter! Weasley! Wilkes!"  
"Sorry professor," they muttered lowering themselves in hopes of avoiding the stern gaze of the woman.  
"How can you think about not joining the house team?" Hugo whispered once Professor Gladis had moved to help one of the Hufflepuff students with a spell. "It's a huge honor."  
"I don't like being the center of attention," Amy answered quietly. "And if I was the second year who made the house team, everyone would think it's because James is crushing on me—which I'm not entirely sure he's not, by the way—and I would be the hot gossip topic for at least a whole term."  
"But you'd be playing for the house team," Lily tried to reason while remaining quiet. "And so what if people think you got in because James has a crush on you. Once they see you play, they'll know you made it in on talent."  
"I'm really not that good."  
"Everyone else thinks you're brilliant," Astrid leaned over both Lily and Hugo to add to the conversation. "You should go and see. And if you make the team, the rest of the team will know the reason."  
"Why do you care?" Lily asked.  
"I'm a huge Quidditch follower, my parents own a quality Quidditch supplies store and work with the Irish National, Bulgarian National, the Hollyhead Harpies and dozens of other teams."  
"Is that supposed to be impressive?" Hugo scoffed.  
"No, but I'm saying I've seen good players," Astrid answered rolling her eyes at Hugo. "And Amy is a good player."  
"See, you have to go," Lily turned back to Amy. "You can't just let this opportunity slip past you."  
"Only if you come too," Amy sighed giving in. "I can't stand to go on my own."


	17. Chapter 17

Erika felt like she was trying to speak and understand a whole new language every time she heard someone talk. Which was truly impossible, she was speaking English just like the British people crowding her on the street of the rundown town-thing Beth and Heather had brought her to. The fact that these people were also witches and wizards only seemed to widen the gap in communication.  
"Are you sure this is the right place?" she asked frowning as she followed after the teenagers. "It doesn't look like the host town to fancy boarding school."  
"We're sure," they answered in unison, looking up at a vibrant store front. The sign read Honeydukes, and boasted of the best candies and chocolates in all of Great Britain. Heather scoffed at the idea, frowning at the window.  
"That's a big promise," Beth commented, frowning at the displayed candies. "And there's no way they have anything on Ambrosia."  
"Or a Mars Bar," Heather sighed wistfully. "What I wouldn't do for a good ole Mars Bar right now."  
"You've got a whole pocket full of them in your backpack," Erika frowned at Heather and Beth. "You both have more candy than food in your bags."  
"We have our priorities in line," Heather started down the street again. "And we need to get to our campsite before dark."  
"Is it close?" Erika asked trailing after the older girls.  
"No," they answered in unison.  
"Great," Erika sighed adjusting the heavy bag on her shoulder.  
When Heather and Beth had talked about their grand adventure in the UK, Erika had expected an actual adventure. She had not expected stealing a flying chariot from camp, flying all night over the Atlantic being chased by harpies, to hiking over mile after mile of woods and fields on the way to the mysterious school holding Amy hostage. Or trudging through a dense ancient forest filled with monsters, which for some reason protected the school.  
Erika was tired of this trip. She was ready to return to Camp Half-Blood, even if it meant going without Amy. And she would have said so, if someone had not grabbed her and pulled her into the door of a nearby shop.  
He was tall, with red hair, a face full of freckles and he wore robes. Not only was he dressed like every other person in the little town, he looked at Erika with obvious familiarity. "How did you get off the school grounds?"  
"I—I," Erika gapped like a fish, trying to find a feasible response.  
"And what happened to your robes?"  
"I," she floundered looking over her shoulder for Heather or Beth. "It's, um, I'm not."  
"Come on, if Hale finds out you snuck out, she'll have both our heads," the boy started dragging Erika back down the street toward Honeydukes. "And if Lily finds out, she'll kill me," he shook his head taking hold of the handle of the shop.  
"I think, you've got the wrong person," Erika looked over her shoulder again. Surely Heather and Beth would have noticed that she was suddenly missing. Surely they would notice the kid tagging along after them all over the UK was gone. "I don't go to the school."  
"Very funny," he smiled, half laughing. "Did one of the seventh years jinx you?"  
"I'm not who you think I am," she tried again, back pedaling in an attempt to stop this boy from taking her to the school. Though, she had no idea why she was so against going to the school.  
If she just allowed this boy to take her to school, she could see Amy and straighten the whole mess out. Then he would know for sure that she was not Amy, and Amy would have to talk to her after five months of the cold shoulder. But being hauled back to the school like a misbehaving child was not the way she wanted Amy to see her after five long months.  
"Stop being ridiculous, who else would you be?" he laughed like he had said something clever as they slipped through the crowd in the candy store. "Come on, we'll make it back just in time for practice."  
"I really think you've got the wrong person," Erika repeated, silently calling out to Beth and Heather, or any of the other heroes gathering around the school for the rescue attempt. One of them had to have been observant enough to notice her abduction by this guy.  
"Quit joking," he laughed again, ducking under the counter.  
"I'm really not," Erika bit her lip. This boy was a friend of Amy's, when he returned and talked about seeing Erika, it would all be over. Amy would know Erika was here, then Amy could actively work toward not talking to her again.  
She had two options, use the Mist to cloud his mind, or have an early reunion with Amy. She was horrible at manipulating the Mist. And this was hardly how she pictured the beginning of her rescue.  
The boy led her down toward the basement of the candy shop. Erika bit her lip trying to form a believable manipulation over the Mist to aide in her escape. What could she do that would force him to release her, and continue on as if this encounter had never happened.  
"Right, you're not Amy, and I'm not James. That way we can't get in trouble with Professor Hale for sneaking into Hogsmead."  
James thought it was weird when he saw Amy in Hogsmead. It was odd that she had abandoned her school robes for muggle attire, but Amy was a little quirky so he let it slide. James knew she was a little on the practical joker side, so he assumed it was just a joke when she said she was not Amy. Of course she was Amy, who else could she possibly be?  
But her insistence that she was not Amy, and the sudden lack of the British accent she had gained over the first term, gave him a little pause. Why would she suddenly return to the thick American accent she had sported during her first weeks at Hogwarts? And why would she act like she had no idea who he was?  
Granted, he knew he annoyed her sometimes. He felt he was a little overbearing, but he liked being the center of attention; and it was hard to miss that he had a slight crush on the girl. But all of that aside, he felt they had developed a decent enough relationship that she would at least acknowledge that she knew him outside of school.  
"Come on, Amy. I know I was bothering you at lunch, but I was just joking," he smiled over his shoulder at Amy as they descended the steps of Honeydukes' basement. "I apologized for it already, but I'll say it again: I'm sorry for the offensive comments I've promised never to repeat."  
"It's not," Amy bit her lip, and odd action for her. How had he never noticed how much she chewed on her bottom lip before? "You _really_ have the wrong person."  
"Now I know you're joking," he smiled moving toward the hidden tunnel in the back corner. "How many people are there in the world that looks just like you?" James joked opening the tunnel.  
And then he was alone.  
He turned around, staring at the floor tile that concealed the entrance of the passage into Hogwarts. Amy was in no way sneaky, she had never been able to just vanish before. And if she had, she had not shown anyone; which, in James' opinion, was something worth bragging over.  
"Where did she go?" he asked the darkness, scratching the back of his head. "She was here, wasn't she?" he turned his back to Honeydukes and started toward the school.  
When he arrived at practice, he was going to talk to her. He was going to drill Amy on how she found a way to Hogsmead, and how she managed to escape Hugo, Lily, and the rest of the Gryffindor first years to visit the town. He had a lot of questions, and a few lectures to give on her behavior.  
The closer he came to the school, the harder it was for him to remember what he had been thinking about. The questions he had carefully selected for his shining moment of authority vanished from his mind, and he forgot why he had been dreaming of authority. He must have eaten something off at Honeydukes, he decided.  
He arrived at the Quidditch Pitch with a just a few minutes to spare. The rest of the team was warming up, tossing the Quaffle around in a giant circle. Amy, Lily and Hugo were also in the circle, laughing and joking with the team. James grinned as he mounted his broom and joined them.  
"You're late," Angel called, tossing the Quaffle at James.  
"I've still got three minutes," he caught the Quaffle and threw it at Harper Stevens, the burly female Beater.  
"Haven't you ever heard the expression, 'If you're early you're on time, if you're on time you're late?'" Harper grunted catching the Quaffle, tossing it to Roman Carter her fellow Beater.  
"Is that one of those Muggle sayings?" Aaron Kingsley asked laughing as Roman threw the Quaffle at him. "Because, that's too weird not to be," the team laughed, including Harper.  
"What were you doing anyway?" Janet Scott, the gangly Keeper asked, her eyes following the Quaffle as it moved around the circle. "You missed dinner."  
"Not to mention Divination," fellow fourth year Levi Young laughed kicking the Quaffle when it fell short of his fingers. "Not that you missed much."  
"We were just talking about how your incompetence is going to cost us the House Cup this year," Roman turned his hardened gaze on James. "And if that comes to pass I might actually believe all that rubbish Trell's been telling us for the past two years."  
"You really think someone as lowly as me is going to cost us the House Cup?" James laughed.  
"If you keep sneaking off to Hogsmead it will," Angel caught the Quaffle and started toward the ground. "And if those little trips cost all the points we get for winning Quidditch matches, we won't have much else going for us."  
"Did you at least bring us something back?" Janet asked following after Angel to the ground.  
James reached in his pocket, of course he would have brought something for the rest of the team. He always brought some of the best Honeydukes had to offer back for his friends. But there was nothing in his pocket, in any of his pockets. "I know I got some," his brow furrowed as he descended toward the ground with the others.  
"We covered for him in class, and he doesn't even bring us something from Honeydukes," Levi shook his head in mock disappointment. "And here we all thought we were friends."  
"I know I bought something," James checked his pockets again. "Why would I go all the way to Hogsmead and not bring something back?"  
"Maybe he didn't go to Hogsmead," Lily commented from somewhere behind the Quidditch team. "Maybe he just ditched class to take a nap or something."  
"Well now I just feel like a fool," Roman shook his head, taking up his club.  
"Enough talk, it's time to get started," Angel stood beside the trunk containing the Bludgers. "I want to work on that new maneuver we discussed last week, so I don't want to release the Bludgers yet. Stevens, Carter, I want you two to watch us and give feedback. James, circle and see if you can tell our next move. I want it to be a surprise when we use this against Slytherin."  
"They're our next match?" Kingsley asked.  
"Professor Hale told me this morning at breakfast," Angel nodded. "I want you three in the stands, you can join in at the end of practice if we have the time."  
Lily and Hugo nodded, turning and starting toward the stands. Amy shook her head as she turned to follow after them. James' brow furrowed again looking at her.  
He had gone to Hogsmead to buy some stuff, but when he started toward the Three Broomsticks he had seen Amy in the street. He had become so preoccupied in getting her back to school he had not bought anything to bring back for the others.  
But there was no way that was right. Amy had made it to the Quidditch Pitch before he did. Had he imagined that? He had just imagined going to Hogsmead that afternoon?  
No, he had come down the tunnel, he remembered walking down the tunnel. So had he imagined seeing Amy in Hogsmead? That could not be right either, he would have bought treats and butterbeer for everyone otherwise…  
"Any day now James," James tore his attention away from Amy, and looked up to see the rest of the team waiting on him.  
He mounted and took off, leveling off above the others as they started to practice. He forced himself not to look at Amy, he could think about that later. He would talk to her about that later.


	18. Chapter 18

On the last Saturday of January, Amy woke up to the sounds of excited chanting in the Common Room. Yawning and stumbling she made her way down the stairs to see what was happening. It seemed all of the Gryffindors had gathered, waving pennants and flags in support of the "Better Potter".  
"What's going on?" she asked watching as the Quidditch team held James aloft.  
"They're being stupid again," Jessica Valor, a seventh year answered in annoyance. "But I suppose it's warranted this time. It's not every day bothers play against each other at school."  
"The Slytherin match is today?" Amy looked out the window, it had snowed over night.  
She had thought the match was still at least a week away, how could she keep losing time like this? Judging by the look Jessica gave her, it seemed Amy was the only one who had lost a week somewhere. The older girl shook her head and moved to join the crowd around James.  
"I hope Al catches the Snitch," Lily scoffed turning to look at Amy. "His head's going to be so big it won't fit out the portrait hole after this."  
"Just imagine what will happen if James catches the Snitch," Amy commented, watching as the Quidditch team started another chant for James and their victory. "This is ridiculous," she continued.  
"It's Quidditch," Hugo came down the stairs from the boy's dormitories, stopping between Lily and Amy. "Best sport there is."  
At breakfast, half of the school was showing support for James, cheering when he led the Gryffindor team through the doors of the Great Hall. The Slytherin table booed loudly as the Gryffindor team sat down, joined by a few Hufflepuffs and a handful of Ravenclaws. When the Slytherin team entered, Albus in the lead the Great Hall erupted in cheers from the Slytherins, determined to outdo the Gryffindors.  
Amy, Lily and Hugo made their way to the Pitch with the rest of school an hour later, sporting their Gryffindor colors and bearing red and gold pennants. Even Amy, who had could not have found a way to care less about Quidditch at the beginning of the year, was excited about the outcome of the match, and not just because it was Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Now that she had played the game, and understood the rules, she was as diehard a fan as the rest of the school.  
And like Lily, Amy was hoping Al caught the Snitch, anything to bring James down from his high horse. Not that she wanted Slytherin to win; she would not be able to face the Slytherins if they won. But Al catching the Snitch—that she could handle.  
"Who's the referee today?" Amy asked as she settled in a seat on the front row of the stands.  
"I think Professor Abbot is the ref today," Hugo answered looking around the filling stands. "Rose said she tried to be the referee for the house rivalry matches."  
"She's unbiased," Rose took the last open seat on the front row, between Lily and sixth year Ravenclaw Travis Green. "She was a Hufflepuff while at school, and she's never really cared about the rivalries, as a student or a teacher."  
"And she's Deputy Headmistress," Green added. "If anyone can be trusted not to show favorites it's her."  
"There's the Slytherin team," Lily leaned over the railing, pointing to the Slytherin's locker room. On the other end of the Pitch, the Gryffindor team was emerging as well. All fourteen players smiled smugly as they approached the center of the Pitch, where Professor Abbot had landed with the chest containing the balls for the game.  
"I don't have to remind you about the rules," Abbot cast suspicious looks around at the teams. "I want a clean game," she stopped looking at Flint and the other Slytherin Chasers.  
"On my whistle," the teams mounted, their focus locked on the chest. "Three, two," the shrill whistle echoed through the Pitch, as Abbot kicked the chest, releasing the Snitch and Bludgers. The teams shot into the air, circling around Professor Abbot as she picked up the Quaffle from the chest.  
"Professor Abbot releases the Quaffle, and the game begins!"  
Al and James flew up above the rest of the players, Harper and Roman took off toward the Slytherin Goal Posts after Slytherin Keeper Leah Crabbe. Slytherin Beaters Byron Jones and Steven Chase circled around the Pitch, under the six Chasers.  
"Flint catches the Quaffle—passes to Mayor, back to Flint. Flint dodges the Bludger—expertly hit by Gryffindor Beater Stevens—feints at the Goal Posts, passes to Fisher—going for the goal. Blocked by Scott!  
"Young has the Quaffle, passes to Kingsley—Kingsley dropped the Quaffle! Fisher captures the Quaffle, dodges the Bludger, Carter hits the Bludger toward Crabbe, blocked by Chase who hit it toward Potter—uh James Potter—The Gryffindor Seeker. Wow, someone didn't think this out very well, did they? Gryffindor Seeker flies over the Bludger and dives toward the ground."  
James dove beneath the Chasers, spiraling as he approached the ground. Al shot off straight through the mix of players, nearly getting hit with the Quaffle as Fisher fumbled with the Quaffle and kicked it to Flint. Levi Young flew below Al, soaring straight up at the last moment and snatching the Quaffle just before it crashed into Al's head.  
"That was quite the save by Young—it's a wonder that boy didn't make Keeper!—he passes it to Thomas, to Kingsley back to Thomas. Fisher nearly steals the Quaffle, good hit from Carter—Fisher drops down to avoid a hit. Thomas approaches the Goal Posts, passes to Young, to Kingsley, back to Young, to Thomas to Kingsley. Kingsley drops the Quaffle—Thomas saves—Ten points to Gryffindor!"  
"That was the new maneuver they've been practicing," Hugo was hanging over the edge of the stands, watching the match with an intensity Amy had never seen in anyone. "It worked; Crabbe thought they just dropped the Quaffle!"  
"Where did James and Al go?" Lily leaned out over the railing, looking to see where her brothers had gone.  
"Flint has the Quaffle, passes to Mayor who dodges the Bludger hit by Stevens. Mayor passes to Fisher, to Flint back to Fisher. Fisher attempts for the goal, Scott catches the Quaffle!"  
"They're over there," Amy came to her feet, pointing to the base of the Gryffindor Goal Posts. Both the Seekers were flying past the goal posts as they raced one another around the edge of the Pitch. "But I don't see the Snitch."  
"Ten points to Gryffindor!"  
"What are they doing?" Rose leaned out beside Lily, watching the Potters as they progressed around the Pitch.  
"Scott takes a Bludger to the broom—Ten points to Slytherin. Scott seems to have regained control of her broom. Kingsley has the Quaffle."  
"They're," Amy leaned further over the railings as James and Al raced past her near the ground. "They're showboating!"  
"Thirty to ten, Gryffindor leads with another of those near misses. It seems all three of the Gryffindor Chasers are having a hard time keeping their hands on the Quaffle this morning, two of their three goals have been near disastrous!  
"Flint has the Quaffle—Passes to Fisher. Jones knocks a Bludger toward Scott, Carter saves sending it flying toward Crabbe. Chase intercedes, sending the Bludger toward Potter—Uh, Gryffindor Potter, who seems to be after something near the base of the Slytherin Goal Posts.  
"Potter—Slytherin Potter takes the lead from Gryffindor Potter as they come around the last Goal Post. The Bludger is knocked off course by Jones. Potter and Potter must be after the Snitch, why else would they be doing whatever it is that they're doing—Scott blocks the Quaffle, passes to Kingsley."  
"That was close," Lily sighed straightening slightly, her eyes still locked on her brothers.  
"Kingsley to Thomas, back to Kingsley, Mayor steals—passes to Flint, to Fisher. Fisher makes a goal—Twenty-Thirty, Gryffindor!"  
"I think they've seen the Snitch," Rose pointed to the Potter brothers, who had separated and began circling above the rest of the game. They both started into the center of the match, weaving between the Chasers and Beaters as they headed for a point in the middle of the Quidditch Pitch.  
James reached out, his fingers reaching for a fixed point between the two of them. A Bludger crashed into his arm. James' broom spiraled from the impact of the Bludger on James' arm, he nearly fell off as he tried to regain control of his broom.  
Al pulled up, avoiding the Bludger and losing the Snitch in the process. Al flew straight up, passing though the Chasers again to return to his watchful position over the Pitch. He started circling again.  
"Scott Blocks. Young has the Quaffle. Passes to Kingsley, to Thomas, passes to Young back to Thomas—Potter—er, the older Potter has taken a Bludger to the arm! Thomas calls a time out."  
"Did someone hit that Bludger?"  
"I think it was Chase," Amy answered watching the Gryffindor team landed around James. "He knocked it away from Crabbe."  
"At James," Lily breathed.  
"Gods, I think he's gonna continue," Amy leaned over the railing, watching as the Gryffindors remounted and kicked off. "Can he fly without using his hands?"  
"We're about to find out," Rose swallowed, her hands tightening around the railings so her knuckles were white.  
"Abbot releases the Quaffle, play resumes. Flint catches the Quaffle, passes to Mayor, to Fisher, back to Flint. Flint scores. Thirty to thirty, Gryffindor has the Quaffle. Potter—Slytherin Seeker, Al Potter has seen the snitch!"  
Al was diving toward the ground, his hand stretched out in front of him. James pointed his broom downward, a meter below his brother and shot off. Clutching his broken arm to his chest, he came level with Al, then passed him.  
"Potter takes the lead from Potter—you know what I'm talking about! Broken arm and all, Gryffindor Seeker Potter has overtaken Slytherin Seeker Potter in pursuit of the Snitch. Young gets another goal past Crabbe—Flint takes the Quaffle toward the Gryffindor Goal Post—J Potter is controlling his broom with that broken arm—A Potter is over taking him.  
"Scott blocks Flint's attempted goal. Kingsley and Thomas pass the Quaffle, pass to Young, drops it—kicks the Quaffle past Crabbe. Fisher has the Quaffle, passes to Flint. Flint drops the Quaffle avoiding a Bludger hit by Carter, Mayor catches the Quaffle."  
James crashed to the ground, holding his broken arm to his chest as he rolled across the ground. He sat up three meters away from his broom, holding the Golden Snitch up over his head. The Gryffindor team landed around him, hoisting him up on their shoulders in celebration, like they had just won the House Cup.  
"Al pulled back, he let James catch the Snitch," Lily and Hugo straightened looking between each other and Amy.  
"Gryffindor's Potter has overtaken Slytherin's Potter—Potter caught the Snitch! Gryffindor wins!"  
She knew that was what Al had done, she had seen others do it during Capture the Flag, allowing a new camper to take the flag, allowing younger children to pass them so they felt like they had contributed to their team. She had done that during Capture the Flag for new campers during the summer. Al had pulled back because his brother was hurt.


	19. Chapter 19

"I think I'll take all this back up to the common room," Amy frowned at the pile of library books. She was forming a headache from attempting to cipher the scribbles in the book.  
"Are you sure?" Lily looked up from her homework as Amy started gathering her things. "We can help with the library books."  
"Nah," she smiled as she turned down the offer. "I think I get the gist of it."  
All of the first years were in the library looking up information for a Defense Against the Dark Arts essay. It was by far the most challenging assignment they had been given and no one wanted a bad mark. But even that was not enough to keep Amy in the library after reaching her limit on studying.  
"I'll catch you guys later, at dinner," she waved as she started down the aisle for the door, passing the Ravenclaws, who each had most of their reports finished already.  
What Amy would not give to have a brainy Ravenclaw for a best friend, she would never know. And what she would do to not be dyslexic—well she already knew that. And that would have been preferable to her current life.  
The hallways were empty as she started for Gryffindor Tower. All the upper class students would be out enjoying the almost pleasant day outside, or hanging out in their own Common Rooms. When she climbed through the portrait hole into Gryffindor Tower, the common room was oddly vacant.  
Amy sank in the comfort of one of the arm chairs beside the fireplace, dropping her books on the floor as she did so. Her arms were unbelievably sore after the early morning session in the forest with the centaurs, and then lugging her books, armor, and sword around all day. If she had been in better physical condition she doubted she would hurt any less.  
She sighed gratefully as she sank further into the overstuffed arm chair, playing Quidditch with Hugo and Lily had also been a horrible idea. She was sore in a whole new way from that. And she still had homework for Defense against the Dark Arts, due first thing the next morning.  
"This is stupid, I could just slash whatever it is with my sword and send them back to whatever pit in Tartarus they crawled out of." She laughed at her own joke, and sighed as she caught her books in the corner of her eye.  
"And I thought it would get easier as we came closer to summer," Amy forced herself to sit up and grab her Defense book. At camp things got easier the more she practiced them, the new skills were based off of what she already knew. It was a no brainer for her to pick up a new skill.  
That was completely opposite from what was happening at Hogwarts. Her head felt like it was going to explode from all the information she was being given for classes, her mind was reeling from trying to comprehend the early morning training sessions with the centaurs, and she had to deal with stupidity of people around her. It might have been the over load of her time that made the second term seem to crawl by, sadly the third term was acting the same way; but she would never admit to overdoing anything. She was a hero after all.  
The months of February and March had flown by, taking a nice chunk of April with them. James had adopted a story about seeing Amy in Hogsmead on several occasions. Thankfully he had always been alone when he saw Erika, and Amy was always with Lily and Hugo at the time. Amy no longer had any doubts that her sister had joined the heroes camped around the school, and because no one was listening to James she still had time to figure out how to stop the oncoming attack.  
But her luck would run out soon, she was sure of it. At some point whoever was leading this charge would attack the school, and Amy would have to be ready to face whoever it was. And her mind was on something as menial as homework.  
"Worst hero ever," Amy muttered flipping through the pages of her book looking for the page they started on in during their last class. "What did we even talk about?"  
"I think you're confused because you're talking about History, not Defense," James dropped in the chair beside her, looking at her book.  
"How do you know what I'm working on?"  
"I recognize the pictures," he answered grinning. "Are all of your books in Greek?"  
"What do you want?" her patience was wearing thin with James Potter as well. Another pressure from the over loaded life she was trying to live.  
"I saw you in the Forbidden Forest," he smiled knowingly at her, like he had caught her in the middle of the forest when she was supposed to be in class.  
"Yes, I remember that. It was on Halloween, and you fell because I scared you," she flipped through the pages of her book, trying to find the subject matter of her essay. Since Halloween she had been careful with her trips in the forest. No one knew she was going into the Forbidden Forest, she made sure of it.  
"No, I saw you there today, just now," James frowned at her book. "How can you even read this?"  
"I haven't been to the forest today," she pulled her book up so James could not see the text on the page. "I haven't been in the forest since Halloween."  
"No," he frowned looking at her book with a furrowed brow, undoubtedly trying in vain to read it. "Is this text the same as what's in the English books?"  
"I don't know, I don't have an English copy," she spoke through gritted teeth, trying to remain focused on Defense Against the Dark Arts.  
"So how can you tell if it's all the same material?"  
"I read Greek, better than I read English actually, so all of my books are in Greek. I speak Greek, not often, but it is a skill I possess. So I can read and speak both Greek and English, I can pair things together too, it's something toddlers do without thought.  
"And now, before you can say anything else dumb, I couldn't have been in the forest with you. I haven't left the castle except for Herbology today. I was with Lily and Hugo for classes with the rest of the first years all day. And you found me in the common room."  
James opened his mouth to comment, but anything he could have said had been crushed under her statements. She was in the tower, he would have seen her running to the castle if she had been in the forest. She also would have been winded from running, he was slightly breathless and he had only jogged back to the tower.  
"I'm really tired of this story James. It's not funny, it's annoying," she laid her book down while she pulled out a piece of parchment and her quill. "And I would appreciate it if you would stop."  
"Fine," James sat back in his chair, staring at the fire while Amy began working on her essay.  
They sat in silence for a few minutes, long enough for Amy to get her thoughts gathered on the essay. Amy sighed scratching her temple with her thumb as she read through the notes again, comparing them to the text in the books. She had started digging out a fresh piece of parchment to begin attempting to write the essay in English when James spoke again.  
"Your sister, back home," he started slowly.  
"What about her?" as always, she tried to sound uninterested about the subject. She wanted it to be clear to everyone her sister was not a huge concern, which was how it should have been. She did not care about Erika, Erika had never been a priority as far as Amy's friends were concerned.  
"Would you say the two of you look alike?" he squinted at Amy as he asked, comparing her to the girl he kept seeing in Hogsmead. Knowing that it was the same person, only unable to learn how she was managing to be in two places at once.  
"I've heard that," she lied, frowning as she translated her notes. Why did Greek come so easily, and English look like a bunch of scribbles? Why did the gods give their children ease with unimportant languages? Everything else about them changed with the times, why not language too?  
"Like how much, would you say the two of looked alike?" this could be the answer to his problem.  
"Why?" Amy set her quill down to look at James, hiding the panic rising in her chest. She knew James was seeing Erika around Hogsmead, and when he connected the dots, her secret would be out.  
"Is it possible she would be in Hogsmead?" he continued, unfazed by her death glare and angered tone.  
"We live in New York, she's a minor. How could she afford a transatlantic flight? And then find a magical school, and an all magic community at the edge of the hidden school in the wilds of Scotland?" she made it out to be impossible. She had to convince James that he was crazy, seeing things. Anything to postpone the day they found out her twin sister was waging war on their school.  
"All that aside, she couldn't find a way over here?" he asked seriously.  
It was possible for children to get around. Given enough time and will power, children could do whatever they needed too. Amy knew all about that, she had heard about teenagers hitch-hiking around the world, stowing away on ships to cross oceans, lying about their age to get by without an adult. And Erika could use any number of things to cross the Atlantic Ocean without a problem.  
"She's not magic, James." She turned back to her homework, taking up her quill to continue her essay, wanting to end the conversation.  
"So she's older than you," James exclaimed, as if this piece of information was vital to his developing theory.  
"Is that important?" she asked distractedly behind her text book. She had to remain unimpressed, act like nothing James was saying was important. She was surprising herself with her ability to be detached, as if she was unconcerned with James' ramblings.  
If he only knew how close he was to the truth.  
"It could be," James answered in all seriousness. "Her age could be very important."  
"How?" Amy arched her brow looking over at James. In what way could James use the potential age of her sister to bring this conversation full circle?  
"If she was younger, she could be magic but isn't old enough to attend school. If she's older, she could have found a way to reach the wilds of northern Scotland and the all magic community at the edge of the hidden magic school."  
It did make sense. But at the same time it was riddled with holes. She had read the history of Hogwarts; it had spells surrounding it to keep mortals away, to keep non-magical people from stumbling upon it. And although Amy knew she was dealing with demigods, they would have fallen under the category of muggles with the witches and wizards who enchanted the school.  
And James would think Erika was just a muggle anyway, since he considered her a muggle-born. There should not be a way for her to find the school. None of the demigods should have been able to find Hogwarts.  
But they still had.  
"I'm still looking for a point here," Amy set her quill down again.  
"I don't have one yet," James answered cryptically, standing up. "But when I do, you won't be able to deny anything."  
"What have I been denying?" she asked jokingly. She had been denying farfetched stories, something anyone would disprove of. At least she was in the eyes of all her friends.  
"I don't know yet," he narrowed his eyes as he backed away from Amy and the fire. "But when I figure it out, this will all make sense."  
"I doubt it," Amy smiled at James as he walked away.  
James retreated out the portrait hole, leaving Amy alone to work on her essay. Once the Fat Lady's portrait had swung back into place, Amy sighed in relief. She drummed her fingers on the edge of her text book going over all the times James had seen Erika.  
If only he knew how close to the truth he was. It really would all make sense.


End file.
